Fighting the Darkness
by lateVMlover
Summary: Clark experiences a devastating loss when his world collides with Buffy's supernatural one. Finding out about the supernatural world and the threats to Earth changes the course of his life. He learns that life isn't as black and white as his parents taught him. This story is darker than Smallville. Contains Batman, Kara, and Angel and Company.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is set one year after** ** _Smallville_** **season 10. It is primarily set in the** ** _BTVS_** **world. Buffy is in the final moments of season 7.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own** ** _BTVS_** **or** ** _Smallville_** **, nor the characters from either show. Only this story is mine.**

Chapter 1: Breaking the Hellmouth Story

 ** _*****_** _Metropolis*****_

Lois Lane let out an excited, "I knew it!"

"What?" Clark asked, glancing over at his girlfriend, whose desks was on the other side of his.

"I've been tracing these weird stories coming out of Sunnydale, California. The town is worse than Smallville and Chloe's Wall of Weird," she said. She started throwing down stories in front of Clark. "Missing kids. Animal attacks. Crazy gangs on supposed PCP. The high school blew up—gas leak is the official report. Others say the mayor turned into a giant snake and ate the principal."

"Seriously?" Clark said, laughing at his fiancée. "We don't report trash but actual news."

"Clark, there's too many weird reports for this to all be a hoax," Lois said. "The high school paper had its own obituary." Then she pulled out a yearbook photo from a graduating class. "Look at this. The graduating class from four years ago. Look at the awards they passed out." She pointed. "This is the class that survived the school blowing up or whatever the hell happened. Notice that this girl here was given the Class Protector award. Buffy Summers. How strange is that? A girl."

"Are you saying girls can't be heroes?" he asked, grinning at her.

"No, I'm just thinking there's something funny about this girl. Her name comes up in too many reports. Charges against her and then they're dropped without explanation. But she gets this award, so she must be a good person," Lois said. "I want to find her and interview her."

Clark sat up. "I don't think this is the kind of town you should spend time in Lois. It's too dangerous," he said, getting a bad feeling.

"There's this serial killer, Clark, that's been targeting young women all over the country," Lois shared. "He was last spotted in Sunnydale. And people are leaving the town. I called and spoke to a city official and was told that a hundred or so people a week are just pulling up and leaving. They feel scared but can't explain why."

"Are you looking for the killer or this Buffy girl?" Clark asked.

"I think the class protector will know something," Lois said, convinced.

"Clark!" Perry called. "Get your ass in here. I got an assignment for you."

"Be right there, sir," Clark called. "Don't go anywhere without me. Okay?"

"I won't," she said. She turned back to her desk. This was a major story—she could just tell.

Clark came back a few minutes later. "Perry is sending me to cover the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans," he said.

"Really? That's awesome!" she said.

"You want to go with me? We could take some time for us," he said, smiling at her. They didn't get married when they were supposed to, but she knew him so completely. She knew Clark Kent the man and Kal El the Kryptonian, who only recently learned to fly. More importantly, she loved both sides of him.

Lois grinned. "You're trying to bribe me away from my big story, aren't you?" she asked.

"Maybe," he admitted.

"You know I like to have a fun time _after_ I nail my big story," she said.

"That place sounds too dangerous for you to go by yourself," he said, frowning.

"I'm a big girl, Clark, and I can take care of myself," Lois said.

"I know, but I still don't like it," he said.

"Well, it's a good thing you can hear me when I call and get to me very quickly," she said in a low voice. "My special hero."

Clark had only recently come out as Superman. He mastered flying about eight months ago. His cousin Kara teased him a lot about being a Kryptonian who was afraid of heights. One day, he'd just looked at Lois and just knew. He had a job, friends, and Lois—she was everything. Releasing the pressure of a wedding date relaxed something inside of him. They were together and more of a unit than any two people could possibly be. And just like that, he was flying. Oliver had a special suit made for him, and then the Blur was no more.

He was Superman—named so by the love of his life.

"Promise me that you won't be reckless or trail anyone in a priest outfit," he said.

"I won't. I promise," she said. She leaned over to kiss him. Then she picked up the phone to get a flight to California.

Clark went with her to the airport since he was headed out himself. He pulled her close. "I love you," he said. "Come back to me."

"Always," she said, giving him that look that never failed to warm him inside.

He never stopped smiling as he watched her walk to her plane.

**** _Sunnydale****_

Lois rented a car and drove the two hours to Sunnydale. The scenery was so different from Kanas that she didn't mind. It was an ocean drive, and she called Clark to brag about what he was missing.

"Well, I'm about to have a beignet," Clark said smugly. Lois was addicted to them.

"You so better bring me one back!" she ordered as she passed the Welcome to Sunnydale sign.

"I gotta go, sweetheart. I'll call you before bed time, okay?" Clark said.

She hung up, looking for a hotel to stay the night. Her first hit of unease came as she pulled into the hotel parking lot—a very deserted parking lot.

"Where is everyone?" she asked the front desk agent. She knew people had been leaving, but she didn't expect it to be this empty. It was creepy.

"I think everyone is sensing a big quake or something," the agent said with a shrug. "This is an odd town. People come, and people go."

"Where is a good place to eat?" she asked.

"There's some places downtown," he suggested. "But you don't really want to be in town after dark. There's some dangerous folks around."

"I'll be fine," Lois said.

"You should be if you get back before dark," he said, handing her a key.

She went to her room and put down her bag. After using the bathroom, she went back to her car and drove into town. Her unease increased as she didn't see a single person on the street. A few cars passed her heading out of town. Their cars were loaded up—it was a disturbing sight.

"What the hell is going on?" she wondered. She sent a text to Clark. _Town is very odd. No one is here. Hotel was empty and so are streets. Cars passing me heading out of town!_ She wasn't surprised when Clark responded with a warning to be careful. "He's such a Boy Scout," she muttered lovingly. She'd loved Oliver Queen, but he'd never let her get close. It'd taken Lois a while to wear down her super powered honey, but Clark eventually trusted her with all his secrets. Of course, she already knew his secret before he got around to telling her, but that was half the fun. Now she had to get her thrills elsewhere. Chasing down a story was what kept her blood flowing and made life worth living.

She pulled into a diner, relieved to see a person behind the counter. "Glad to see some place is open. This town seems so empty," she said.

"Well, you caught us on our last day. The boss is shutting down for a two-week vacation," the girl said. "We close in a half hour, so be quick with your order."

"Okay," Lois said, feeling uneasy again. This place was even stranger than Smallville. She ordered a club sandwich, which was quick and fries. The sandwich arrived in five minutes, so she ate and watched the street. The unease grew inside of her as she saw no one on the street the entire time she was eating. As she finished, three moving trucks drove by, headed out of town. Then three cars followed.

"People are leaving town in a major way," she said to the server as she laid down her money.

"Yes," the girl said. "This town has something really wrong with it. About a week ago or so we all just knew."

"Knew what?" Lois asked.

"That we have to leave if we want to live," the woman said as she picked up Lois's money and walked away.

Now Lois was feeling even more wigged out. "Maybe I should find where Buffy lives and just do my interview. Just finding out what I already have is a story," she muttered. She walked toward the server. "Do you have a phone book?"

The girl nodded and bent down behind the counter. "Make it quick. The sun will be down soon," she said.

Lois found the second warning to not be out after sundown even worse than the first. She quickly scanned the pages of the yellow book, moving to the S section. There it was—Joyce Summers, who was listed as the mother of Buffy Summers in one of the articles she'd read before coming to town. Lois wrote down the address and headed to her car. Happily, she put the address in the GPS the car had. The house was two minutes away.

When she pulled up to the house, she saw the activity that had been missing from everywhere else. There were dozens of girls in the yard. All looked young and all were armed.

"What the hell?" Lois said as she parked the car and got out. A guy—finally she saw a male—was passing out weapons. "What's going on?" she asked as the blonde guy handed her a sword.

"It's time. We have to get to the hellmouth before the sun sets," the guy said as if that should make sense.

"What?" Lois asked. "I'm confused. Is this where Buffy Summers lives?"

"Our general is getting things ready," the guy said. Then he seemed to really look at Lois. "Wait, you're new, right? I don't think we've met."

"Yes, I'm Lois. I just got here," she said.

"I'm Andrew," he said. "Glad you could join us."

"What am I joining?" she asked, gripping the sword. It was real. These people were armed for battle. What were they planning on fighting?

"Did you feel a sudden drive to come here to Sunnydale?" Andrew asked.

Lois nodded. "Yes. I want to know what's happening here," she said.

"We're about to fight for the planet," Andrew said. "If we don't close the hellmouth, a horde of demons and vampires will fill the land, killing everyone they come across. It's up to us to stop it. Buffy and Willow have a plan. If you want to fight with us, pick up the sword. If you don't, get back in your car and drive out of town. Do it quickly."

Lois blinked, stunned. The guy was deadly serious. The faces of all the girls around her were, too. "Hey, new girl," a voice called out. Lois looked and realized that the woman was referring to her. "All newbies stay with me and Andrew. We let the big guns go in first."

Lois nodded. "I'm Lois," she said.

"Anya," Anya said. A blonde with her hair in a pony tail came out on the porch. A redhead girl and a one-eyed man on her other side. "That's Buffy."

Lois looked at the woman, who seemed very determined. Another older man with glasses came out onto the porch while another stayed in the door frame.

"It's time," Buffy said. "Willow will go with Kennedy to do the spell in an open room of the school while the majority of us enter the hellmouth. Those that haven't been training long should stay in the school where there should be less vampires to battle. Some of us won't make it. Know that you're giving your life to save countless others and keeping this world safe. If I don't make it, remember that I died fighting. If you don't make it, I'll never forget your sacrifice." She turned to those on the porch. "Let's go."

She walked off the porch as everyone trailed behind her. Lois turned to Anya. "There's a hellmouth at the school?" she asked. "What's a hellmouth?"

"The new high school. I don't know why they built the new school over the old one," Anya said as they began walking slowly with the group. "A hellmouth is a gateway to hell."

Lois was torn between wanting to know more and calling Chloe to get the Justice League there. Her curiosity won out. "How did the old one get destroyed?" she asked.

"Xander, my ex-fiancée," she said, pointing to the one-eyed guy, "wired it with explosives because the mayor ascended into a giant snake and began eating people. There was an eclipse, and vampires kept people from running to safety."

"I bet that was awful," Lois said, trying to wrap her mind around everything that was happening. It was surreal. These people obviously believed in what they were doing. Was it a mass hallucination? Hysteria?

"I wouldn't know. I wasn't there," Anya said. "I wasn't about to witness another ascension. Xander and I weren't together then. We went to prom together, but that's it. I tried to get him to run with me, but he wouldn't. He'll never leave Buffy and Willow. His girls."

"He cheated on you with both of them?" Lois asked in alarm.

"No. Willow's gay, and Buffy doesn't see him that way. They're best friends," Anya said. "But look at him now. He lost his eye 'cause that insane priest Caleb gauged it out when he tried to fight Buffy's battle. She's the slayer. It's her job, not Xander's!"

Now that Anya confirmed the presence of the serial killer, Lois pulled out her phone to call. She sent a text to the Watch Tower. _Major battle a foot in Sunnydale, California. Bring the team to the high school._

She put away her phone, feeling guilty. She should call Clark, but she had to ask, "Did the police arrest the priest? I hadn't read any news report."

"No, the news never reports the truth of this town," Anya said. "But Buffy took care of him. She sliced him in two with her scythe."

Lois blanched, looking ahead at the weapon Buffy carried. It was big and red—hard to miss. "She just killed him? A man?" she asked.

Anya heard the note of disapproval in Lois' voice. "Well, he wasn't exactly human, you know. He was empowered by the First," she said.

They stopped at the high school, and Lois pulled out her phone to call Clark.

"Clark, you should come to Sunnydale now. There's a bunch of kids, Clark. Most are in their teens. They're armed for battle. They're talking about demons and vampires, Clark. The hellmouth," Lois said.

"So they're some cult?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so," Lois said. "They gave me a sword and told me to stay in the back. Buffy's leading the battle into the hellmouth under the high school."

"What?" Clark asked, alarmed.

"Anya seems pretty sane to me, Clark. They all do," Lois said. She knew they probably weren't, but Anya was deadly serious as was all of them. It was hard for Lois to think they might be all insane.

"Do not go with them, Lois! They're either insane and dangerous or leading you into danger," he said, feeling panic begin to build. "I'm coming."

"I don't think I have a choice, Clark," Lois said as they group went into the school.

"Lois, don't do anything brave or foolish!" Clark ordered, tearing off his shirt. "I'm coming."

Lois put the phone away once more and gripped her sword. She followed Anya. They stood in a hallway while the majority of the group went down the hall. "We'll stay here and pick off any that escape," Anya explained.

Lois nodded, her heart pounding. Where they crazy or were monsters about to arrive?

A few minutes later, she had her answer. Vampires and demons were real, and she swung her sword as one tried to kill her.

She and Anya took down two. "I can't believe this is real!" Lois exclaimed, looking at the pile of dust. "They just turn to dust."

"Yea, convenient, right?" Anya said with a grin. "Demons aren't so convenient. And they have weird colors for their blood."

Lois had a feeling that Clark would not approve of her killing any sentient being, but she knew they would die if she didn't.

"I think more is coming!" Andrew shouted.

A few minutes later, another came. Anya moved and saved Andrew. However, Lois called out a warning. "Anya!"

Anya barely missed the blow that would've killed her. Lois jumped to save her, and the monster tore her open. "Clark!" she called out.

Then everything went dark.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

 _I hope following two of my Smallville/BTVS stories won't be confusing. I love Lois Lane, but this story is about Buffy and Clark meeting, not Lois and Clark. Review if you want more._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Heartbreak

 _*****Clark's POV*****_

Clark's heart was hammering in his head as he flew out of his hotel. Lois was in danger, and he had to save her. It wasn't the first time she'd be in danger because his girl was prone to leap and then look. It was one of the things he loved most about her. However, he normally was on hand to stop her from getting hurt. Now, though, she was eighteen hundred miles away from him. As fast as he was, it would still take him several minutes to get to her.

He was flying over Arizona when he heard her cry out. She was calling him, and he had to get to her before it was too late.

He made it to Sunnydale and located the school. Using his x-ray vision, he scanned the area. There were some people inside, but countless bodies under the school. Strange.

As he entered the school, he saw a few bodies. He heard sounds of a battle below. The name Buffy was yelled, and some girls rushed out of a stairwell. When they saw him, they stopped.

"It's Superman!" one girl yelled.

"Damn, B, finally got some help," a brunette said. "Too bad he missed the battle. It's over. Time to get out of town before the hellmouth explodes."

"I'm looking for someone," Clark said. "Lois Lane. She said she was with you."

"I don't know any Lois," the girl said. "But we gotta jet. Call her name, and I'm sure you'll hear her."

Clark nodded and did just that. "Lois!" he called.

"She's over here!" a voice called. Clark blurred toward the voice. A blonde woman and man were standing over Lois' body.

"She saved my life," the woman told Clark. Clark couldn't believe it. It was Lois. The future mother of his children, his other half, his partner, his heart. She was dead, split open with no chance of revival.

"Go! Go!" a voice yelled, and girls rushed past them. One grabbed Andrew and pulled him along.

"Anya, we have to go!" another called.

"I'm so sorry," Anya said to Superman, who looked at Lois in devastation. She followed Xander as Superman reached down and picked Lois up in his arms.

Clark held Lois, unable to grasp was his eyes were seeing. She couldn't be dead. There was no way. She was larger than life, unstoppable, a force of nature. The earth began to shake. It grew worse and the floor buckled under him. He took her and moved quickly as the town of Sunnydale was swallowed hole.

***** _Buffy's POV*****_

Buffy forced herself to let Spike go as the light from the necklace grew brighter. Anguish filled her as the knowledge of his imminent death was undeniable. She ran out of the hellmouth, up the stairs, climbing to the top of the school as the grounds gave way. She kept running, the ache in her stomach from the blade not slowing her down. Her eyes spotted the school bus as it moved. She jumped from building to building until she landed on top of it, holding on tightly. When it came to a stop, she slid off it and her friends spilled out.

She was hugged by a relieved Dawn. Then something landed in front of her, and she jumped back, pushing Dawn protectively behind her.

"It's Superman!" Dawn exclaimed.

"How did he get here?" Buffy asked. "Did someone call him for help?"

"He came for Lois," Anya said.

Buffy moved forward and saw the dead woman cradled in Superman's arms. "Superman, I'm sorry. Who is she?" Buffy asked.

The piercing blue eyes of the man of steel met hers, and she took a step back as the force of his pain clashed with her own. It was too much. Whoever the woman was, she meant a lot to Superman.

"She was everything," he said softly, brushing her cheek.

A helicopter landed, and Buffy turned to see who was there.

"What's the situation?" a hooded man in green asked. He was wearing a masked and carrying a bow and arrow.

"Battle's over. The hellmouth is closed for business," Buffy told him.

The man moved closer, seeing the crater that used to be Sunnydale. Then he spotted his best friend. "Superman?" he asked.

Superman looked up, recognition in his eyes. "She's dead," he announced.

Buffy could tell that the man knew the woman Superman held as he cried out in dismay, joining Superman, who was kneeling with the woman in his arms.

"What happened?" the new guy asked.

"I-I can't. I have to go," Superman said. He stood, holding the woman. Then he flew away.

"What the hell happened to Lois Lane? Why is she dead?" he demanded.

Two other costume heroes moved closer. One was a female.

"Lois Lane, the reporter?" Willow asked in surprise.

The man nodded. "She sent word that you all needed our help, so we came as soon as we could," he said.

"I didn't notice her with us," Willow admitted. "Me either."

A guilty looking Andrew spoke. "I saw her arrive and assumed that she was a late arriving potential. I gave her a sword and told her if she wanted to fight for the world that she should come with us. If she didn't, she should leave town," he said. "She wanted to fight."

"Of course, she would. Lois Lane has never backed down from a fight in her life," the hooded man said, a note of anguish in his voice. It was obvious to Buffy that Lois Lane had meant a great deal to him, too.

"I told her to follow me," Anya said. "We weren't fighting in the main fight, so it was safer with us. She fought with me—like a potential. I didn't suspect she wasn't."

"She knew how to fight," Andrew said.

"Her father is a four-star general and made sure she knew," the man supplied.

"She saved my life," Anya supplied. "I'd be dead if it wasn't for her."

Xander hugged her.

"Lois was like that," the man said quietly. "She never leave others to do what she wasn't willing to do herself."

"Is she Superman's girlfriend?" Willow asked. "I thought she was engaged to Clark Kent, her writing partner?" Then her eyes widened as something occurred to her.

"Clark Kent is Superman!" Andrew yelled, excitedly.

Buffy realized that the man of steel would need a secret identity much more than she ever would and gave Andrew that look to shut him up. "Who he may or may not be is none of our business," Buffy said firmly. "We have many secrets of our own, and we would never share with the public what we know."

"Are you their leader?" the man asked.

Buffy nodded. "I'm Buffy. With my friend's help, we ended a global threat," she said.

The man glanced at the large crater. "You destroyed an entire town," he pointed out.

"A deserted town for the most part," Buffy said. "We had no idea that was going to happen. We had this necklace that Spike wore that was supposed to give us an edge. The hordes of vampires and demons were coming out of the hellmouth when it activated. It destroyed all the vampires and caused that to happen." She pointed to the big hole.

"If we didn't try to stop the First, everything would've been over for everyone," Willow said.

"The First?" the man asked.

"The First Evil," Buffy said. "You guys fight criminals. We fight actual evil. Beings without a soul or redemption. Their only goal is to destroy life and sometimes the entire world. I've been fighting the darkness in this town for seven years."

The women spoke. "You have some injured people here. We need to get you to a doctor," she said. "Any that are life threatening can fly in the helicopter."

"Robin. He's the worst," Dawn said.

Buffy was grateful for the help even as she couldn't believe help arrived too late to make any real difference.

***** _Many Miles Away*****_

Clark knew that Lois was gone, but he had to try. He took her to his fortress and begged his father to help.

"I'm sorry, my son. She is too far gone to be saved," Jor El said. "Her soul has journeyed far from her body."

Clark felt a growing rage as he accepted that the woman he loved was gone forever. He let out a power yell of pain. Then he flew, leaving her behind. He flew so fast and so far that he loss sense of time. The fact that his powerful flight caused damage everywhere he went was lost to him. Storms rose, and buildings fell. Avalanches and glass shattered behind his wake.

Down in Los Angeles where Buffy and the gang stopped for help reports of his actions were on the news. Of course, the media had no idea what was causing the problem.

"It has to be Superman," Buffy said to Angel. They went to his hotel for some rest.

"Superman? How do you know that?" Angel asked.

"He was at the hellmouth. The woman he loved was in the battle somehow," Buffy said. "She died saving Anya."

"That's terrible," Angel said with sympathy.

"He looked like I felt. His pain was tangible, and I felt so bad that I inadvertently caused such a man who means so much to the world all that pain," Buffy said.

"It's not your fault," Angel said.

"Will," Buffy called out. "We have to do something to stop Superman. He's out of control. I don't think any of his super friends are magic users."

Willow nodded. "We should go to the Hollywood sign and watch for his approach," she suggested.

"I'll go with you," Angel said.

"No one else," Buffy said. "The man is in agony, and we don't want to spread around that he is the one causing all the problems."

Kennedy refused to let Willow go without her, so the four of them drove the Hollywood sign. It was very late.

"How will we be able to see him?" Kennedy asked, looking below and seeing city lights only.

"I can see him if he comes," Willow said confidently. Ever since she'd done that spell earlier, she felt an awakening in her senses. Her connection to the earth was stronger than ever.

They waited, catching up with Angel and sharing stories. Then they heard it—a sound like a sonic boom.

"He's nearby," Willow said. She began chanting and threw up her hands. An invisible wall was built high above them to stop him when he flew by. She underestimated, however, how hard he would hit it. The force of his hit knocked down trees and the Hollywood sign, causing them to fall to the ground by the force of the blow.

"Oww!" Buffy complained as she struggled to get up.

Lights from Angel's car cast a glow, and Kennedy held up a large flashlight that she'd brought. Superman was on the ground looking stunned but unharmed. They cautiously moved toward him.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Superman said. Then he realized he knew her. "What happened?"

"Sorry," Willow said. "I was trying to stop you. Your speed flying has been causing damage across the world. Buildings are collapsing, and people are dying."

"What?" Superman asked in disbelief. He got up slowly.

"We know you're hurting," Buffy said. "But you are too powerful to express your pain in this way. You have to find another way."

Clark blinked, trying to focus on what she was saying. "Lois is dead," he said flatly. "I'm not sure I care anymore." Then he flew up and away before they could react.

"Great. A heartbroken superhero with the power to destroy the world," Kennedy said in disgust.

"He's younger than I thought he'd be," Angel said in bemusement.

"He's around twenty-five or twenty-six," Willow calculated. "Poor guy."

"Let's hope he comes to his senses," Kennedy said.

"He will," Buffy said. "He just needed to be told what was happening. He's in pain right now, but at his core, he is a hero and will do what's best for humanity."

"According to the article I read, he's not human," Angel said. "He's from another planet. Do we really know where his allegiance lies?"

"He was raised here," Willow added. "He considers Earth his home, and it's under his protection."

"He just needs time," Buffy said.

"What if he decides that we're at fault for his girl's death?" Kennedy asked.

Willow and Buffy exchanged worried looks. In many ways, they were responsible. They hadn't even notice her presence, nor did they manage to protect her. Feeling guilty, they headed back to the hotel.

****** _The Watchtower******_

Clark landed on the balcony of the Watchtower, his feelings all over the place.

"Clark!" Chloe shouted in relief. She turned to the guys sitting at a nearby table. "He's here."

They all get up and walk toward the balcony doors, but Chloe was already clinging to Clark.

"I can't believe she's dead!" Chloe said, crying into Clark's chest. Lois was her cousin, but she was more like a sister to her. They'd survived so much.

"I've lost her, Chloe," he murmured, he wrapped his arms around her.

Bart, Victor, A. C., and Dinah followed Oliver's lead, saying nothing as they watched Clark, their friend and personal hero, fall to his knees with Chloe, too broken to keep standing.

Oliver alone felt comfortable enough to join the two as he had loved Lois first and remained her cousin-in-law. However, he loved her and felt like her big brother. The pain of her loss was overwhelming to the man who had known more loss than any of them. Tears slid down his cheek as he put a hand on his wife's shoulder and Clark's, knowing nothing he could say or do would make their loss any better.

Their friends watched, feeling helpless.

Clark was their North Star, their conscience, and leader. He had saved all of them at one time or another. How could they save him from this?

***** _Washington D. C.*****_

"General, we have news," his aid said, entering his office.

"Yes?" General Lane asked, looking up.

"It's about your daughter, Lois," he said. "Superman just brought her the morgue in Metropolis. She is dead."

Stunned, the general stood to his feet. Whoever was responsible for his daughter's death would regret it.

****** _Chapter End*****_

 _I know it's awful to kill off Lois, but I didn't plan on her being in this story and could think of no other way to explain her absence except killing her off. Also, her death is what propels the story. Thanks for reading. Take a minute to review._


	3. Chapter 3

**A bit of a refresher for** _ **Smallville**_ **'s very last episode. Darkseid came to Earth and Clark finally flew, defeating it. A Lionel Luther from a parallel world came to get Tess's heart for a cloned version of Lex Luthor, which I forgot about. Lex could have died from a bad heart or he could be alive. The episode never answered either way. Tess's last act after Lex stabbed her was to erase Lex's memory. The finale jumped 7 years and had Lois and Clark finally getting married, not really showing the battle with Darkseid. It's assumed that Clark saved the day.**

 **In this story, I'm assuming that Clark came out as Superman right after defeating Darkseid, staying engaged but not married to Lois. Because I killed her off, that obviously won't happen. Buffy and the gang would be aware of Superman as he would've shown himself to the world right as the First begins heating up things on the hellmouth. Occupied with their own battle, Superman wouldn't be anyone they'd think about for help. That'll come up, though. Also, I wanted to clarify that they do NOT know anything about Superman or his weaknesses. Willow's shield slowing him down in the last chapter didn't mean to imply they knew about his weakness toward magic. It was just something to get his attention, which it did. I hope that helps clarify some things. Sorry for the long note!**

Chapter 3: A Dark Place

 _*****Several Days Later*****_

Clark stood at the cemetery still having a hard time believing that Lois was gone. They had just finished her graveside funeral. Her sister and father were as stunned as he was. Lucy was inconsolable, and the General was grim and angry.

"How did this happen, Clark?" he asked.

Clark didn't even have the energy to try and hide anything from the man who had given her life. "Lois was pursuing a story, trying to figure out why so many weird things came out of Sunnydale. The priest serial killer was last seen in Sunnydale, and she wanted to interview Buffy Summers, a person who kept coming up in the stories. When she got there, she found the town pretty much deserted."

"You heard from her when she was there?" he asked.

Clark nodded. "She called me and told me that there was a group of young girls armed for battle, convinced that the town had a demonic infestation of some kind," Clark said. "I told her to walk away, to try and save herself, but you know your daughter."

General Lane nodded. "Yes. She was a fighter," he said. "Did you find the woman responsible? The girl, Buffy Summers?"

"I don't think Lois made contact with her—she said she saw her, but she never actually spoke to the woman," Clark admitted.

"She is going to pay for letting me daughter die," the General replied, his anger palpable.

Clark was pulled from his grief for a moment. "Buffy closed the hellmouth that was under that city, saving countless lives," Clark said. "She can't be blamed for what happened to Lois. Superman can or even the League—they should've known. They should've been there fighting, so that Lois wouldn't have died."

"So you're saying that Superman is the one I should blame for this?" the General asked, surprised. "He cared about my daughter."

"He did, but he failed her," Clark said grimly. It was how he felt—Lois was dead, and he alone was to blame.

Two hours later, Clark couldn't bring himself to leave the graveside. He sensed another behind him but didn't turn. Whoever it was—probably Chloe or Oliver—didn't speak but stayed silent for twenty minutes. Then they came closer and stood next to him and reached for his hand. "I am so sorry," the woman said. Clark looked down and recognized Buffy Summers, the woman who spent her time fighting demons.

Clark said nothing. For another hour, she simply stood there holding his hand. It was weird because the woman was a stranger to him, but on some level, her compassion reached out to him.

Then she spoke again. "I buried my mother on a day like this about two years ago," she said, releasing his hand and turning to face him. "She died of a brain aneurysm. One minute she was fine, and then she was just dead. The single worst day of my life, and I've had a lot of bad days."

"What's the point of all this if people die before they get a chance to live?" Clark asked, finally speaking.

Buffy's eyes met his, and her smile was bittersweet. "But Lois lived every day to the fullest, didn't she? From what I've heard about her, there was no half ways with her," Buffy said.

A ghost of smile touched his lips, and he nodded. "That's true," he said. "I was always so cautious, so worried, weighing the consequences. But Lois just jumped—she never hesitated. She was the bravest woman I ever met. She didn't have any powers, but that never stopped her."

"I knew that the moment I heard about her," Buffy said. "She came and joined our fight without even knowing what she was facing. Then when she found out, she didn't run away. She fought and saved my friend's life."

"That's my Lois. More guts than sense," Clark said, fighting the grief that threatened to overwhelm him.

"I'm really sorry," Buffy said sincerely. "I feel responsible. I was so focused on the fight that I didn't even see her."

"It's okay," he said. "I'm the only one to blame. I knew there was potential for danger, and I knew Lois. If there was trouble to be found, she'd be in the middle of it. I should've been there sooner."

"You're not God. You can't be everywhere all the time," Buffy said. "I led dozens of girls to their deaths. I made so many bad choices, and I can't ever go back and do it over. I just have to learn to live with it."

"What's the point?" Clark asked bitterly. He didn't want to go on without Lois.

"The point is we go on. To fight another day and maybe love another person. Maybe not. But the point is we don't give up. We don't let our losses defeat us or break us," she said.

"Why not?" Clark said. "Why should we fight so hard when the world keeps getting worse."

"But that's not true. We struck a strong blow when we defeated the First Evil. Willow activated all potential slayers," Buffy shared. "All over the world there are women waking up to their power, their drive to fight the darkness. They need us to guide them. And you—you are a beacon of hope to the entire world. People know that life is worth fighting because you fight for them. _You_ give them hope."

"I'm done fighting," Clark said with resolution. "I can't do it anymore. I don't want to." He turned away from Lois' grave, the sight of her casket being lowered into it burned into his brain forever.

Buffy wasn't surprised at his words because he was in pain, but she knew he'd come around. He was a hero, a real one. Unlike her, he didn't have to fight. There wasn't a supernatural urge pushing him or slayer dreams driving him. He fought because he could. However, when he simply jumped up into the air and flew away without a word, she felt a pang of disappointment.

She walked slowly to her car, feeling sad. A very attractive blonde man approached. He looked familiar, but Buffy couldn't place him. "Can I help you?" she asked.

The man handed her a card. "I'm Oliver Queen, Clark's best friend," he said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss," Buffy said.

"Lois was quite a lady," he said. "It's going to be hard to go on without her. I'm married to her cousin, Chloe. We're both devastated."

Buffy nodded. "I can imagine. It's never easy losing people we love," she said.

"I bet you know a lot about that," he said.

"More than most," Buffy said. "Have we met before?"

"Yes," he said. "I was there when you closed that hellmouth. I was hoping we could talk."

Buffy's eyes widened. "You're the guy in the green hood. The Green Arrow?" she asked, surprised.

"You know Clark's secret, and I know yours. I figured if I told you mine, you might trust my offer," he said.

"What offer is that?" she asked.

"You now have the responsibility of caring for dozens of girls with superpowers, right?" Oliver asked.

Buffy nodded. "Giles is trying to get access to the Council's funds, but he's having trouble. We've been staying with a friend, but we can't do that much longer. He's my ex, and it's too complicated."

"Yes, I'm sure it is," Oliver said. He knew everything there was to know about Buffy Summers—at least all the stuff that was public record. He'd even talked to her friend Andrew without her knowing. The man was a huge security risk, sharing too much with Oliver, a virtual stranger. All Oliver had to do was pretend to be a friend of Angel's, and Andrew was an open book—happy for an audience.

"I'm in charge of a league of superheroes," Oliver said. "I'd love to help you. My lawyers can help your friend Giles with his funding issue."

"Really? That'd be great!" Buffy said excitedly. Then she stopped. "I guess you're not doing this out of a spirit of altruism. What do you want from me?"

"An alliance," Oliver offered. "It's going to be a long time before our big gun is ready to fight again. Clark feels things deeply, and Lois' death will leave him reeling. But that doesn't mean the bad guys stop. Your team could be really helpful."

"What do you know about vampire slayers?" Buffy asked.

"Not too much. Just some things I found on the internet," he admitted. "I know it's always a girl with superhuman strength that can fight vampires and demons."

"We're not like you and your superhero friends. Some of you are metahumans. That's biological with a scientific explanation," Buffy said. "Science doesn't fit into what we are. We were empowered by the essence of a demon eons ago. Willow used magic to empower all the other slayers. Faith is the last one called in the traditional way. When one of us dies, another is called. I died once for a minute and was resuscitated, so there was another called. That's how Faith was called with me still living. She replaced Kendra, who lasted a year before a vampire slit her throat. There's always been a short life span. I mean to change things."

"That sounds pretty crazy, but I'm an open-minded guy," Oliver said. "We'd still like you to join us, and maybe we can help you change things."

"We don't hunt humans," Buffy said flatly. "Slayers are driven to fight evil and evil is compelled to hunt us. We'd only get your people hurt or worse. Not to mention if a slayer accidentally killed a human, the guilt can drive her insane. We're slayers, not murderers."

Oliver nodded. "I get that. And I don't want to put anyone at risk," he said. "I just think we can learn from each other. Train together. Maybe if a global threat comes, you'll help us."

"Global threats come all the time," Buffy said. "I've stop eight apocalypses myself. How many have you and your team stopped?"

Oliver was caught off guard by her claim. "Well, maybe one or two. Possibly three. Brainiac was a global threat. So was Darkseid. Also, the Kryptonians," he said.

"That's good. We could've used your help in Sunnydale this past year," Buffy said, a note of accusation in her voice. "Maybe so many young girls would still be alive if you and Clark had been there sooner. Lois would still be alive."

"We didn't know," Oliver said, pointedly. "More importantly, we came as soon as we did know."

"It's not like there's a number. Call Superman 1 800 55 SUPER?" Buffy pointed out. "Besides, I was a little busy trying to stay alive."

"We try to monitor all possibly threats. Our computer person is the best in the world, but we didn't know the supernatural existed—not like this," he admitted. "There's been some contact with witches, but we didn't know there was an entire other world of demons and hellmouths."

"Now you do," she said. "But it's my domain. You stick to yours."

"Don't you think an alliance would be a good thing? We can help each other," Oliver said, not one to give up easily.

"Let me talk to my people," she said. "See what they think. It's a lot of lives at risk."

"They're already at risk," he said. "I can just help you keep them safe. Either way, I'll get my lawyers to reach out to Mr. Giles."

"Thanks," Buffy said. "I'll be in touch."

Oliver watched her drive away. "She's gone," he said.

His wife was listening in his ear piece. "That went well," Chloe said.

"As well as could be expected," Oliver said. "But she'll come around."

"What makes you think so?" Chloe wondered.

"She needs us more than she realizes," Oliver said. Herding a bunch of teenager girls with superpowers had to be a nightmare. The poor woman needed all the help she could get.

***** _Los Angeles*****_

Angel met Buffy at the airport. It was bittersweet being around him, but he was the only one besides Spike that she trusted to always have her back. Spike was dead, so he was all she had now.

"How did it go?" Angel asked her.

She shrugged. "About as well as it could be considering I inadvertently led his fiancée to her death," Buffy said flatly.

"That wasn't your fault. You had no idea she was there," Angel defended.

"That's the thing, Angel, I should've known. I should've noticed," she said in disgust. "Some kind of leader I am."

She followed him to his car parked in the lot and drove her back to his hotel. As they pulled up, he spoke. "Buffy, leaders make good calls and bad ones. Sometimes, you have to go with your gut. You've always done that and overcome impossible odds," he said. "You beat the First. You changed the fate of hundreds of girls."

"Did I have that right, Angel? Now they're targets. Each and every one of them," she said.

"And you'll train them to protect themselves," he said.

He opened the hotel doors for her. Buffy noticed an absence of girls. "Where's everyone?" she asked Dawn who was having her hair braided by Fred.

"They went patrolling. Gunn was showing them all the best spots," Dawn said. "Fred's fixing my hair like the girls in Pylea wore theirs. She said it might cheer up Lorne. It's his mother's birthday, and he misses her."

"I tried to insult him like his ma did, but he said I wasn't mean enough," Fred said, giggling. "His family is funny."

"Where's Giles?" Buffy asked.

"He's in Angel's office in the back talking to Wes," Dawn said. "Wes is so much cooler now than he used to be."

"People change," Buffy said. "Will you go get the Scoobies and Robin? Tell them I have to talk to them." She and Angel walked into his office.

"Back already?" Giles asked.

"I stayed a few hours after the funeral and talked to Clark. Then the Green Arrow approached me and offered me some help," Buffy said. "I wanted to talk to everyone about it.

When Robin came in with Faith, Willow, Kennedy, Anya, and Xander, Dawn followed them in. Buffy started to object out of habit, but then realized that Dawn had just as much right to be there as anyone else, especially if Kennedy was there.

"Who's with the girls?" she asked Kennedy.

"Vi and Ronin," Kennedy said.

"Gunn will take care of them," Angel said.

"Now they're slayers. They can take care of themselves," Anya pointed out.

Buffy nodded. "It's going to take me a while to get used to that," she admitted. "So I wanted to tell you about my conversation with the Green Arrow. He approached me after Clark left the graveside." She told them what was said.

"His help would be much appreciated," Giles said. "Angel's offered his lawyers, but I don't really want Wolfram & Hart to have access to anything to do with the Council." He gave Angel an apologetic look. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I don't blame you," Angel said. "I made a choice that I think will help me the most, but I know I'm working in a den of vipers."

"Why would you do that?" Faith asked. "Work for the enemy?"

"I don't work _for_ the enemy," Angel said coldly. "I'm a viper myself, Faith, and if they try to take a bite out of me, they'll choke to death first."

Faith held up her hands in surrender. "I was just asking," she said.

"So back to what I was saying," Buffy said. "What do you guys think? Should we let Oliver Queen help us?"

"Olive Queen is the Green Arrow?" Kennedy asked in surprise.

Buffy winced. "We need to keep a lid on that. He's a lot more high profile than Clark, so we can't tell anyone else—at least no one that won't be directly working with him," Buffy said.

"That's a good point," Giles said. "We also should let the girls know to not tell new people about Clark's identity. We're going to be bringing in a lot of girls we won't know. They'll be slayers, but that doesn't mean we should trust them with all our secrets."

"Especially not secrets that aren't ours," Buffy said.

"Clark Kent is Superman?" Wesley said, figuring out what they were talking about.

Buffy groaned. "See? I totally suck at secrets!" she complained.

"I assure you that I can keep it to myself," Wesley said. "Well, Fred might die of happiness if I told her."

Willow laughed. "You might be right. She loves her heroes," Willow said. "She told me all about Angel being her knight in shining armor in Pylea."

Buffy and Faith both snickered at Angel's obvious embarrassment.

"How about we stay on topic?" Giles said. "I think it would be a mistake to refuse Mr. Queen out of hand. Not only would his help with the Council's finances be great, but he may be able to help us in other ways."

"I think the Justice League has a super hacker of some kind working for them," Willow said. "They're fairly new, only coming out a few months after Superman. They fought off that super Ape, remember? Grodd. I read some things on the dark web that made me think they have someone doing the technical work for them. They seemed too connected. Andrew was going on about it last night."

"Speaking of Andrew," Giles said. "We've got to have a talk with him. He has no filter, and I don't think we can trust him to keep things to himself."

"Easy to manipulate," Robin agreed. "All a person would have to say is that they were a fan of Sta _r Wars_ , and he'd tell them anything."

"I'll talk to him," Xander said.

"I'll help," Faith said. "It'll take a bit of fear to keep him line."

"I can't believe that dweeb survived the final battle," Kennedy muttered.

"Well, he has the right to work for his redemption," Giles said. "Besides, he _is_ incredibly smart. With the Watcher's Council mostly gone, we need men with his intelligence if we hope to rebuild."

"If we give him a job of some kind, one he's solely in charge of, it'll keep him occupied and out of trouble," Robin suggested.

"I think having him begin recording all the bios of the slayers is a start," Giles said. "We need a record of all of them, a bit of history. The new ones can all begin with him interviewing them."

"Yea, if they can survive time with him, they'll be just fine!" Faith said, laughing.

"He fought just like everyone else," Anya said, feeling compelled to defend the guy who fought with her and Lois. Poor Lois. Anya had taken a lot of lives in her years as a demon, but nothing made her feel as guilty as knowing she was the reason Superman's love was dead. Not feeling like being around anyone, she walked out of the room.

"She's still upset that Lois died saving her," Xander explained. "I'll go talk to her." He followed her out of the room.

"So it's decided?" Buffy asked, looking at everyone else. "We'll take Oliver's help and agree to his alliance?"

"I think it's a good idea, Buffy," Willow said. "We're going to need help. He has contacts all over the world."

Buffy pulled out Oliver Queen's card. "Okay, I'll give him a call," she said.

***** _Fortress of Solitude*****_

Clark was pacing in his fortress, the cold unnoticed by him. "I can't believe she's gone," he said to Jor El, his father's AI embodiment.

"I am so sorry, my son," his dad said.

"I can't live without her," Clark said. "I refuse to!"

"Kal El, she was human. You are not. As long as the sun shines on this planet, you will live," Jor El said. "Her death was inevitable."

"But that should've been decades!" Clark said. "She was cut down too soon!"

"Yes," his father agreed.

"I don't want to feel like this," Clark said, feeling the agony of her loss.

"If you want to think about something else for a while, we can continue your training," Jor El said.

"Do you know about the evil creatures that live in this planet? Why didn't I know about demons and hellmouths?" Clark asked angrily.

A closet opened up. "Come inside, son, and I will give you all the information that I have," his father said.

Clark knew that time for an AI wasn't like time for the rest of the world. If he went inside his father's chamber of knowledge, there was no telling how much time would pass. Did he really care?

Make a choice, he walked to the chamber and stepped inside.

***** _Chapter End*****_

 _Show your love and review!_


	4. Chapter 4

**I know in many stories I've written and probably in the** _ **BTVS**_ **comics and other stories, it has there being hundreds of potentials. It seems we don't ever think about the fact that all the potentials were hunted down and killed by the Bringers and most fled to Sunnydale that were still alive. For this story, I'm limiting the number to a more manageable amount.**

Chapter 4: An Absent Hero

 _******A Month Later*****_

Buffy couldn't believe how fast things came together once Oliver Queen became involved. Giles and she met him for lunch, and then two days later, Giles met with some lawyers. Within a week, all the old Council's assets were under Giles' control. He, Xander and Robin began searching out all those that worked for the Council. The First had blown up all the main players—all who worked in the headquarters like Wesley and Giles' own fathers. Giles had never vocalized it to Buffy, and she was horrified when she finally learned that both the men had lost their father's that day. Giles knew it was only the beginning. His mother had many contacts and was determined to help her son, which was good since they really needed help.

Buffy and company flew to England to a secondary property the Council owned. To the Americans, it was a large castle. To Giles, it was a large manor.

Wesley came with Giles to help, and Buffy was hoping that he'd stay. They needed him much more than Angel did.

"Buffy, I did a locating spell," Willow said, coming into the room with Dawn and Faith on her heels.

"You located more slayers?" Buffy asked.

Willow rolled out a large world atlas. There were dark marks scattered all over the map. "It looks like more potentials than we realized were murdered by the First. It looks like there's about a hundred or so left who are now slayers," she said.

"They're everywhere. So many countries," Buffy said in awe. "Five in the U.S. and two in Canada. There seems to be several in Mexico, Central and South America."

"We're definitely going to need a Spanish speaker to recruit there," Willow said.

"Doesn't Anya speak Spanish?" Buffy asked.

"I think she speaks like every language," Willow said. "But she's a bit blunt to throw at newbies."

"So we'll have Xander there with her," Buffy said.

"You don't think that'll be awkward for them?" Willow asked.

"It'll give them a chance to either work things out or get on to just being friends," Buffy said.

"You might want to talk to Robin," Faith said. "I think he speaks Spanish. Shouldn't we save Anya for more obscure languages?"

"Good point," Buffy said.

"I know French," Dawn said.

"I know a bit, too," Buffy said.

"So we should totally take those two France dots!" Dawn said excitedly.

Buffy smiled, thinking it would be good to spend time with her sister just the two of them. "Okay," she said.

"Really?" Dawn asked in surprise.

"Why not?" Buffy said. She winced at Dawn's shriek of happiness.

"Dad's currently in Spain working, so we can stop and visit him and make him fund the trip," Buffy said with a smirk. The bastard hadn't been sending child support payments, so she knew he'd do it.

"The Council will fit the bill, Buffy," Willow said.

"I know, but I want our dear ole dad to cough up some money," Buffy said.

"We can go shopping in Paris!" Dawn said excitedly.

"Most definitely!" Buffy agreed.

Dawn couldn't take her excitement and ran off to tell everyone she could.

***** _Another Month later*****_

"I can't believe he's not called," Chloe complained to Oliver. They were at the Watchtower, and Oliver had just gotten back from a mission.

"He'll call when he's ready," Oliver said.

"It's been two months, Ollie. Clark has never not talked to me that long since we were kids," Chloe said.

"He lost the woman he loved, and he's got major guilt complex going," Oliver said. "It's going to take time."

"Perry already made me write an article speculating on Superman's disappearance," Chloe said. "When the world starts noticing that no one has seen Superman around, it's a problem."

"Well, the world's just going to have to make do without him for a while," Oliver said. He walked over and pulled his wife into his arms.

"What if he never comes back?" Chloe asked worriedly. She laid her head against Oliver's chest.

"He will," Oliver said confidently. "He cares too much about people to stay away for long." Oliver knew where Clark's fortress was and knew that was probably where Clark was right now. However, he wouldn't intrude on the man's grief unless the world was coming to an end.

For everyone's sake, he hoped that would never happen.

 _*****Another Month Later*****_

Buffy was leading a team in Cleveland, Ohio. Some demon clans had united when word spread that there was more than one slayer around. Fear had destroyed old prejudices and allowed previous enemies to work together to thwart their common enemy: the slayer. Now it was slayers plural, and they weren't going to take this new development lying down. Xander and Anya had managed to work an alliance with a few of the less violent prone demon clans. However, the most vicious were determined to kill slayers on sight. Things had gotten so bad in the States that Buffy left Dawn in England with Giles. Faith was down in South America dealing with a developing hellmouth. Kennedy and Willow were handling Cleveland while Buffy helped Giles with the reorganization of the Council. However, she had to stop all that and come to Cleveland. Willow and Kennedy weren't seeing eye to eye on how to handle things.

Willow stayed at the base while Kennedy took a team to the south end of town. Buffy took the north. She had a team of four slayers and one of the Justice League members, the speedster. His name was Bart, and so far, Buffy found him as annoying as Andrew. However, she knew that he was even faster than Superman. She had agreed with Oliver that she'd take one member of his team for a week or two at time until all of them had a chance to understand her world and slayers. So far, Bart was the first to join them.

Bart was swinging his sword around like a kid trying out a new toy. Buffy glanced at her slayer Michele. "Did you evaluate his ability to use that? Or is he going to accidentally cut off his own body part?" she asked.

"He's actually quite good with it," Michele told her. Michele was a tall, willowy brunette who reminded Buffy of Cordy except she didn't have much of a sense a humor or Cordy's biting sarcasm. "He's so fast that his reflexes instinctively help him master the blade."

Buffy was glad to hear that and led the team to the cemetery near the forest preserve. There was a growl heard by only one person, and Bart's eyes lit up, causing him to blur away.

"He needs to not run so fast toward danger," Buffy muttered, running to catch up. Then she heard a very high-pitched scream and picked up the pace.

All the girls followed Buffy, running at full speed, and then stopped to see Bart standing transfixed, a look of horror on his face at a three headed, reptilian like demon.

"Bart, are you okay?" Buffy called out.

"It-it has _three_ heads!" Bart exclaimed, his voice breaking. The creature slashed at him with his claws, and he jumped back, tripping over a headstone.

Buffy snickered at the wanna-be superhero. "This demon isn't that bright or that fast, Bart. You should be able to take him," she called out.

"It has three heads!" Bart said, scrambling to his feet.

Buffy laughed and took out her scythe. "Here, Michele. Show him how it's done," Buffy said.

Michele grinned and took a swing, easily cutting through its three heads with the blade.

"That's it? Not even a well fought battle?" Bart asked, feeling offended.

"It's a Ghora demon," Buffy said. "They are tough if they catch you unaware, but not much for fighting. However, they do have magic eggs. I'll need to head back and tell Willow. Their eggs are reputed to heal or something. I'm sure she'll want to check them out."

"A Ghora demon?" Bart asked, looking down at the heads. He pulled out his phone and snapped some pictures. "I don't think anyone would believe me without evidence."

"Girls, you guys try to find its nest and watch out for another," Buffy said. "Bart and I will go find Willow."

The girls nodded and moved in a scatter formation. Buffy told Bart, "Grab the heads. We can't just leave them there. There's a dumpster down that alley we passed. We'll throw them in."

"Seriously?" Bart asked in disgust.

"Vamps don't have any clean up, but demons do. It's a one of the wonderful perks of our job," Buffy said, slapping him on the back as she went and picked up a head. With a grin, she threw it. "Catch!"

Bart glared as he caught the disgusting head. "You are seriously disturbed!" Bart informed her. However, he did grab the second head and followed her out of the cemetery.

He spent three days in Cleveland sparring with slayers and watching them work. Then he got back on Oliver's jet and headed to Metropolis.

Victor and Dinah were at the Watchtower talking to Chloe when he arrived.

"Hey, Bart. How was hell town?" Dinah asked.

Bart shuddered. "Those girls are insane! Where's Oliver?" he asked.

"He's down in Star City. He's thinking of moving operations there," Chloe shared.

"Really? Why?" Bart asked.

"It's his hometown and the criminal element is getting stronger," Chloe said. "This town is under control even without Clark."

"So was Cleveland sick fun?" AC asked as he came into the tower.

"I got sick, but I can't say fun is the right word," Bart said, throwing himself into a chair.

"You were sick?" Chloe asked in concern. "You're never sick."

"Well, I wasn't really sick, but I felt sick after Buffy made me carry two demon heads to the thrash!" he complained.

"Seriously?" AC asked.

"They were two of the _three_ heads on this demon!" Bart said. "Buffy mocked me for being scared and didn't even kill it herself. She gave the job to one of her minions!"

"I don't think she considers her slayers minions, Bart," Chloe said, fighting back a smile.

He pulled out his phone. "I have documentation in cause you wanna doubt me."

Dinah was closest and grabbed the phone. "Wow! That's really disturbing!" she said.

The phone was passed around, and Chloe sent a copy of it to her phone. "So you learned a lot working with the slayers?" she asked.

"I learned that those girls never get tired, are afraid of nothing, and eat almost as much as I do," Bart said. "Demons are, like, very real. I'm going to have to start going to church again."

Dinah laughed. "It sounds fun," she said.

"That's 'cause you're almost as crazy as those girls," Bart muttered.

"I'm totally going have to spend some time on this hellmouth. Sounds like a totally good time!" AC said with a grin.

Bart groaned.

***** _Another Month*****_

Buffy woke up with a gasp. She was in Star City to meet with Oliver Queen and some others that he wanted her to know. However, she'd been awakened by a dream that was definitely a slayer dream. It was dark and disturbing but unclear. She saw vampires, but they were not like the vampires she knew. They were not like the ones she battled when she closed the hellmouth.

What did it mean?

***** _Fortress of Solitude*****_

Kal-El, known to the world as Superman, and known to his friends as Clark Kent, was receiving the language of Krypton, the history, and the religion. The Sun God, called Rao, long ago mapped out all universes even where Earth was. He put down the evil that walked the Earth and decided that his offspring needed to be given humility, so he went far away and created Krypton. Krypton was a planet were only the strong flourished, and he put a red sun in the sky to mold his seed.

Kal-El and his cousin were all that was left of the once great people of Rao.

Kal-El would know his history, and he would understand his legacy.

He was not just hope for humankind.

He was the hope of Rao.

Rao's ancient enemy existed deep in the Earth, and it would awaken.

****** _Chapter End******_

 _So I am completely making up the Rao stuff. All I know about Rao I learned from watching Supergirl, and I thought it'd be fun to bring him some mythology into this tale._

 _If you're like me and watch The Flash or the Arrow, it's hard to picture the Oliver and Bart from Smallville now since it's been so long. As much as I did love Justin Hartley as Oliver Queen, he was more of a leader and not as dark as our current Oliver. Bart Allen, however, was VASTLY different from the Barry on the CW now. He was also younger than Barry from today's show. I hope you enjoyed this portrayal/update. More to come. Reviews are the best gift you can give!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Kara aka Supergirl is now in the story starting with this chapter. For those that remember, she was LOADS better as Supergirl than the current TV show (in my opinion).**

Chapter 5: On Notice

***** _Another Month Later*****_

Kara El, known on Earth as Kara Kent stopped in Smallville to check on Martha, who wasn't really her aunt, but she'd always treated Kara like family. Therefore, Kara adored her. Marth had even encouraged her to get her GED and begin college classes.

"Martha?" she asked called after she knocked, and no one answered.

She opened the door and went inside. Martha was on the phone and motioned for her to come in.

"Okay, I appreciate it, Chloe. Let me know," she said. She hung up, smiling at Kara. "Kara, it's so good to see you!" She gave her a hug, obviously happy to see her.

"You, too," she said. "I just came to see if you'd heard from Clark yet?"

"No, I was actually just talking to Chloe about that," she said. "She's not heard a word. It's been months. I'm really scared. Why hasn't he called me? Is he okay?"

"I'm sure he's just processing things. You know how much he loved Lois," she said.

"I know. I was married for two decades and lost Jonathan," Martha replied. "I know how awful it is. I had Clark to keep going, so I made myself push past the pain and grief. If I hadn't had him to get up for every morning, I'm not sure if I would've made it. That's why I'm so scared for Clark. Isolation is no way to process grief—it's the way to wallow and grow bitter."

"I'm sure he's at his fortress. I'll go check on him and make sure he's okay," Kara offered.

"Will you? That'd be so great!" Martha said in relief. "Thank you!"

Kara hugged her once more and flew to the fortress of ice that Clark went to when he wanted answers from his Kryptonian father or needed to be alone. Kara was one of the few people who knew where it was and had no problem getting there.

When she arrived at the ice fortress, she saw Clark inside the communication chamber. "Kal!" she called. When he didn't answer, she used his human name. "Clark!"

Clark looked up and stepped out. "Kara? Is everything okay?" he asked.

She went up to him, glaring. "How can you ask that? You've been gone for months!" she exclaimed. "Your mother is worried sick. Why haven't you called?"

"I guess I didn't realize it'd been that long," he said, feeling guilty.

Kara pulled him close for a hug. "We care about you, Kal. You can't disappear," she said.

Clark hugged her back. "I'm sorry, Kara. It's just been so much," he said. Kara pulled back to look up at him.

"I know, Kal," she said. "I'm so sorry that Lois is gone. It shouldn't have happened."

"No, it shouldn't have," Clark said, grimly.

"We all miss her," Kara said.

"I can't believe it, Kara," Clark said, a hollow look in his eyes. "She shouldn't have been at that hellmouth, but more importantly, the hellmouth shouldn't have been there."

"Yea, it's pretty crazy," Kara said.

"No, you don't understand," Clark said, an urgency to him that Kara hadn't ever witnessed. "Jor El has been showing me so much about our history, Kara, and the history of this planet. There's so much we didn't know. You have to listen to what he has to say. I need your help."

"Of course, Kal. I'll help you," she assured him.

"Go into the booth and talk to Jor El. He will explain," Clark said.

"You'll go see your mom?" Kara asked.

Clark nodded. "Yes, I will. But first I have to take care of something," he said. "Go hear what Jor El has to tell you."

"Okay," she agreed. "I'm here for you, Kal. Just because you lost Lois, it doesn't mean that you're alone."

"I know," Clark said. "Thanks." He watched her get into the chamber. "Jor El, teach her what you showed me about Earth and our own history on this planet. Tell her about Rao."

"I will, my son," Jor El said.

He was dressed in his Clark attire, but he went into another chamber, coming out in a new outfit that fit his somber mood. His family crest was on his chest in gold, but the black attire fit his purposes much better. Without the cape, he felt a bit strange when he launched into the air. However, he had a new mission now. Earth's darkness was so much deeper than he had ever known. Lois' death was not an isolated event, and Clark now knew of the ancient battle that his ancestors had fought after Rao created them.

He knew the power behind one of the greatest sources of darkness on the planet. An evil that worked in the human world, empowering all kinds of evil.

Wolfram & Hart, once the Wolf, Ram, and Hart, an ancient evil that predated humanity. Now they were disguised as a law firm, using the great freedoms in America to exploit others and violate all human laws and rights of sentient beings. Clark would start with the biggest office in America and work his way through them all.

No longer would Clark waste time on petty criminals when there was a global threat to humanity growing stronger all the time.

He would root out all traces of Wolfram & Hart and destroy them. Vampires and all demonic creatures that sought to kill humans would die. Jor El had taught him that there were such creatures that had no right to life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness as they sought only to pervert, destroy, and violate humans in every way possible.

He arrived shortly to the New York City downtown offices of Wolfram & Hart. As he entered the building, employees were startled at his appearance. He used his x-ray vision to detect heartbeats, and when he saw that vampires were working there, his anger increased. What Jor El had shown him about this place was true. They _did_ employee vampires. Determined, he approach the front desk.

"Can I help you, sir?" the woman asked.

"Yes, do you know who I am?" Clark asked, never one to use his fame. However, he needed access to whoever was in charge.

The girl nodded. "Yes, sir. How can I help you?" she asked.

"I need to see whoever is in charge of this law firm," he asked. "Do you know who that is?"

"That would be Mr. Massey," she replied.

"Where's his office?" he asked.

"He's on the top floor," she said. "Let me call him."

Clark waited as she made her call, ignoring the looks from bystanders.

"Sir, if you take the elevator, someone will meet you at the top floor and direct you to his office," she said.

Clark nodded. "Thank you," he said. He turned to leave, but then he paused, looking at her. "Why do you work here?"

"They pay really well," she said.

"So money is more important than your soul?" Clark asked, giving her a look of disappointment. She flushed and looked guilty. Finally, he turned and walked toward the elevator.

When the elevator stopped at the top floor, he saw that a man was waiting for him.

"It is an honor to meet you, Superman," the guy said, smiling at him. "Wolfram & Hart will be glad to handle any of your legal needs."

"Where is Mr. Massey?" Clark asked.

"This way, sir," he replied, leading Clark to the corner office. The door read Miles Massey.

When Clark stepped in, an attractive man in his forties, rose and came around his large desk to greet Clark.

"This is an honor, sir," he said, holding out his hand. He smiled easily and seemed warm and personable. However, Clark knew that he had sold his soul to get where he was, putting his own greed ahead of humanity. "Miles Massey. How can I help you, Superman?"

"You can stop aiding in the corruption of Americans, the defiling of innocents, and the empowering of evil men and women," Clark said grimly. "You can stop hiring vampires and aiding the demonic community."

Massey's friendly air left as he contemplated the man before him. He was clearly Superman even if he was dressed much soberly. Massy knew how invulnerable the man was, so he knew he had to proceed with caution. Making an enemy out of this man would not be good for his bottom line or his continued good health. How should he play this? He thought about what he little he knew about the alien man and went with his instincts.

"Do not all creatures deserve the right to a good lawyer?" he asked.

"Manipulating the law for your own selfish gain isn't what it's for," Clark said coldly. "Helping murders and other monsters not just exist but flourish makes you even worse than them."

"Maybe," he said with an easy smile. "However, I don't harm anyone anymore than a parent of a murderer. Are they responsible for the actions of their offspring?"

"It depends on whether or not the parent is actively aiding and abetting," Clark said coolly. "I am not here to debate you, however. I am here to put you and your law firm on notice. As I've recently been made aware of the supernatural world that exists on this planet, I will be doing my part to protect the world from the threats it represents. Your senior partners are actual demons, and you wouldn't be in charge of the largest American office if you didn't know that. That tells me you don't care who or what signs your paycheck. That tells me you are beyond redemption. Although I will never violate my policy of never actively hurting humans, I will root out any vampires or demons I find in your employment and destroy them. I will not tolerate the blatant embracing of such evil anywhere on this planet."

"Are you sure this is a fight you want to take on?" Miles asked in concern. Even though he had lost his soul a long time ago, he knew that this man was one who believed in the innate goodness of mankind. Finding out that didn't really exist would mar him in ways he couldn't foresee. The knowledge made Miles a bit sad. Superman wasn't human and didn't have the same human weaknesses. However, he was plagued by this unfailing optimism—optimism that would lead to his downfail.

"It is," Clark said.

Miles nodded. "I understand," he said with regret. "I hope you know the battle you are taking on and how far the power of the senior partners reach."

Clark nodded. "I do," he said. "Thank you for your time."

He gave the man one last nod and then walked out of the office. Then he went out the door and through the building. Detecting one vampire on the floor, he used his heat vision to kill it. When it turned to ash, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Vampires fed on the death of humans, feeding on them like they were a food source. People screamed at his violent action.

"What are you doing?" another man called out.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Clark said. "Did you not know that man was a vampire? You might want to talk to your boss. I'm going to look for any more. I assure you that if I find any more in this building, I will take care of them for you. Protecting humans is what I do." After giving the man an easy smile, he turned toward the stairwell.

Clark repeated his actions on every floor. By the time he got down ten floors, word had spread, and the vampires began trying to flee the building. Security guards were left confused and afraid. They knew their bullets would ricochet if they tried to harm him. Knowing that the vampires were trying to leave, Clark picked up the pace, moving through the building in a blur. When he made it to the lobby floor, he felt a sense of grim satisfaction at his accomplishment.

This was just the beginning.

Miles Massey watched from his window as Superman flew away. Then he picked up his phone.

"We have a problem," he said. "The Senior Partners need to be called. There's a new player on the board."

The Man of Steel had finally taken notice of the Earth's supernatural underbelly, and the consequences of his involvement would shake the world.

 _*****To Be Continued*****_

 _If you recognized the name Miles Massey, it comes from a George Clooney movie, Intolerable Cruelty. I'm picturing and using him for this role as he played a smarmy lawyer in it. I see the head of the law firm to be very charismatic, even charming._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Meeting the Ex

 _******Still in New York******_

After Clark left the New York branch of Wolfram & Hart, he moved to the location in Boston and did the same thing. Then he went to Philadelphia and Chicago, killing vampires after issuing his ultimatum to each branch's head. After going to Houston, Miami, Las Vegas, and Kansas City, he went to several other of their offices across the globe, cleaning out the vampires. Then he stopped back at his Fortress.

"Kara?" he said as he stepped inside.

She stepped out of the communication chamber. "You were right, Kal. We have to do something about this. The threat to this planet is great, and the evil is deeply rooted," she said.

Clark smiled. "I knew that you'd feel that way," he said. "I've been going to several offices of Wolfram & Hart offices and putting them on notice. I've killed all the vampires working for them."

"That's good," Kara said. "Did you see any demons?"

Clark nodded. "Yes, but demons are sentient beings. I don't won't to kill them out of hand," he said. "Some species are peaceful. They could be working for the law firm because it's the only place they can work as themselves."

"That's a good point," she said. "In many ways, demons are like aliens. Some aliens are like us, and some could be bad like Brainiac."

"Yes, I know. I figured I'd get with Buffy, the slayer should know things like that," Clark said.

"What do you need me to do?" Kara asked.

"Go home, and I'll track down the slayer. I'm sure Chloe or Oliver can tell me where she is," Clark said.

"Okay," Kara said.

"Your support means a lot in this, Kara," Clark told her.

Kara reached out and squeezed his hand. "You're my only family. I'll always be there for you, Clark," she said.

Clark smiled and hugged her. "Thanks," he said. "I'll see you soon."

Kara nodded and watched him fly off. It was good that he had something to distract him from his sorrow.

***** _Metropolis*****_

Clark flew into the Watch Tower, and his friends looked up in surprise.

"Clark!" Chloe said, jumping and running to hug him.

"Where you been?" Bart asked.

"Where's Oliver?" Clark said.

"He's with Vic. I'll call him and tell him to come," Chloe said, pulling out her phone.

"Can you get Dinah and A.C. to come also?" Clark asked Bart.

"Sure thing, Clark," Bart said, pulling out his own phone.

A half hour later, all the current members of the Justice League were there. After greeting Clark in relief, Oliver said, "We're glad you're back. We've missed our Boy Scout."

"He's not looking like a Boy Scout dressed in that black," Bart said.

"It fits my mood," Clark said soberly. "I've been talking to Jar-El, and what happened in Sunnydale isn't an isolated event."

"We know, Clark," Oliver said. "We've been working with Buffy and the slayers."

"Dude, wait until you see my pictures of this three-headed demon," Bart said, pulling out his phone.

Clark looked at the images on Bart's phone. "So you've gotten a chance to fight actual demons," he said. "Good for you. I'm not going to bother with human criminals anymore."

"That's our mission, Clark. Buffy says if things get bad on their end, she'll call us," Oliver said.

"Well, my mission has changed. Do you know how to reach her?" Clark asked.

"Yes," Oliver said. "She's taking us on training exercises. Bart and Dinah have had their turn. A.C. is going next week to train on the hellmouth in Ohio. That's where Buffy is most of the time."

"Faith, her number two, stays there full-time, but that's where they train the slayers," Chloe explained.

"I'm moving us out of Metropolis to Star City. The criminal element there is getting out of hand," Oliver said.

Clark nodded. "I guess you need to do what you need to do. Let me tell you what else I've discovered," Clark begin. "There's this law firm . . ."

When he was done, Oliver was grim. "This is huge, Clark. Taking on a law frim like that won't be easy."

Clark nodded. "I know. Their Senior Partners are actual demons. It's not going to be easy," he said.

"Clark, you do know that Buffy's ex is in charge of the Los Angeles office," Chloe shared.

"Really? He's a lawyer?" Clark asked.

"Not at all. He's been fighting the law firm in L.A. for the past four years, and they say he won. They gave him the office as a reward," Chloe said.

"Buffy's team is highly suspicious of the move," Oliver added.

"Buffy says that Angel is a vampire with a soul—a Champion for the Powers and that he gets visions to help people," Chloe said. "It's kind of weird that he'd make such a move."

"I will talk to Buffy before I go see him," Clark said. "I've been to several of the branches, killing all the vampires I see. Kara's on board to help."

"That's a hornet's nest your kicking over," A.C. said.

"They won't like that," Victor said.

"Oliver will need to talk to Bruce Wayne. He's another trust fund baby turned philanthropist. I bet we can get Mr. Wayne to help us target these companies that are client's of Wolfram and Hart," Chloe suggested. "The way to destroy a company is to hit them where it hurts the most—their pocketbooks."

"That's a good idea," Clark said.

"Involving Wayne is not. He doesn't really care about anything. I know that guy. He's just like I used to be," Oliver said.

"People change, Oliver. You did," Clark said. "You won't know until you talk to him."

"Fine," Oliver agreed. "You target them physically, and we'll come at them covertly. I don't want the team battling demons unless they have to—like end of the world stuff. The slayers are everywhere now, and they are actually programmed to fight them."

"What exactly does that mean?" Clark asked.

"They have a built-in ability to fight creatures stronger than they are. They heal really fast, and they can sense evil," Oliver explained.

"Willow did a spell that night Lois died to empower all the potential slayers," Chloe explained, venturing to mention Lois' name. Clark flinched only slightly. "Now all the potentials in the world are slayers. The First Evil killed off most of them that hadn't fled to Sunnydale, but there's still over a hundred or so."

"We've got to get more people to know what's happening," Clark said.

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"The world needs to know," Clark said.

The team looked at him with various degrees of dismay and shock. "What?" Dinah asked. "You want to tell people that there are real Boogie Mans out there?"

"That vampires and demons live among them?" Bart asked, wide-eyed at the thought.

"People deserve to know the truth," Clark said. "It's the only way they can prepare."

"You can't be serious!" Chloe exclaimed. "People can't handle this kind of thing, Clark. You'll cause world-wide panic."

"Maybe at first, but they'll be better for knowing," Clark said stubbornly.

"No one will thank you for destroying their peace of mind," Oliver said.

"We're protectors, Clark, not destroyers of illusions," Chloe said.

Clark wasn't going to argue with them, but he did say, "Keeping people in the dark only feeds groups like Wolfram & Hart." He turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Chloe called out.

"I'm going to go see Buffy," Clark said.

"Okay. I'll text you her address," Chloe said. "Don't stay gone so long."

Clark didn't want to make promises he couldn't keep, so he flew off the balcony without replying.

Chloe exchanged a look with her husband. "I don't like this, Ollie," she said.

"Well, at least he's not hiding away in his fortress anymore," Oliver said.

"Do you think he's for real?" Bart asked.

"I don't think Clark knows how to joke—at least not like that," Oliver said.

"Are we prepared for the fallout if he does do what he said?" Chloe asked.

"We'll have to be, won't we?" Oliver said. Now he had to figure out how he was going to talk to Bruce Wayne.

****** _Ohio*****_

Faith sat down at the table, joining Buffy and Dawn. Laptops were in front of the three of them. Giles, Xander, and Willow were Skyping with them as Xander was in Africa gathering slayers there while Giles and Willow were in England. Willow was training some more with the coven while Kennedy worked with slayers in Europe.

"So Africa has a few slayers that are willing to go to Europe and be trained," Xander said.

"That's good," Buffy said.

"Have you seen any cool animals?" Dawn asked.

"Lots. It's an incredible place, Dawnie," Xander said.

"I so want to visit Africa," Dawn said.

"One day," Buffy promised.

"There's been some rumbling in the supernatural world," Giles said. "It seems that Superman has been attacking Wolfram & Hart and issuing out a clear threat about hiring vampires and demons."

"Good for him," Faith said.

"It's upset the balance even more, Faith," Willow said.

"You've both been having dreams about a new big bad coming," Xander pointed out.

"Then Clark getting involved is a good thing. More firepower," Buffy said. For the past month, she and Faith and several other slayers, had all gotten the warning—a new threat was on the horizon.

"Yes, but he's too naïve to take on Wolfram & Hart. He doesn't know anything about the supernatural world," Giles said.

"So we'll teach him," Buffy said.

"There's already increased dark activity being registered across the globe that I believe is a direct result of the balance we upset when we changed the world," Willow added.

"What places?" Buffy asked.

"Well, Star City, Gotham, Los Angeles, New York City, New Delhi to name a few," Giles listed.

"Well, Oliver's got Star City covered and Angel's in Los Angeles," Buffy said. "Dawn and I can go to New York. She's been talking about Columbia or NYU for school anyway." She glanced at her sister.

Dawn grinned. "That would be awesome! We could get to know the city and make sure I like it there enough to go to school," she said.

"What about Oxford?" Giles asked.

"I'll apply, but it's hard to get in there," Dawn said.

"I'll go to Gotham," Faith said. "Ohio is boring as can be. This hellmouth is a pussy cat, and Vi can handle it."

"Okay," Giles said. "That sounds good."

They shared a bit more gossip before saying goodbye.

Buffy and Faith started planning their next move when the doorbell rang. A minute later, one of the girls yelled, "Buffy, you have a visitor."

They went into the living room to see Clark dressed as a darker Superman.

"Hey, Superman. It's good to see you again," Buffy said, smiling at him.

"Buffy. Sorry to drop in like this," Clark said, holding out his hand to her.

"It's cool," she said. "I don't think you've met Faith. She's my number two. I'm about to send her to Gotham to work for a bit." Faith had seen him at the final battle, but he was too devastated for pleasantries that day.

Clark nodded. "I was going to go there very soon myself and have a little talk with that city's branch of Wolfram & Hart," he said.

"Yes, we've heard about your new hobby," Faith said, grinning. "Are you just playing, or do you really want to get into the war we're fighting?"

"I'm deadly serious," Clark said. He glanced at Buffy. "I've learned a lot, and I can't live on this planet and pretend like I don't know the kind of threats that are out there."

"Superman, fighting the supernatural isn't what you do," Buffy said. "It takes its toll. You're a beacon of hope for the entire world. I can't ask you to get involved. It's slayer business, and I'm not alone anymore."

"It's been made really clear to me just how great a threat Wolfram & Hart is to this planet and the people living on it," Clark said. "I'm not going to stand by and allow the good people on this planet to be deceived any longer."

Buffy looked at Faith who shrugged. Then she nodded. "Okay. I get that. Welcome to the team," she said. "What do you want to do first?"

"I want to know about Angel and what he's doing working for Wolfram & Hart," Clark said grimly.

"Honestly, I've not talked to him about it," Buffy said. When they were in L.A. she had too much going on to deal with his new career choice.

"I have. It's cool. Angel knows what he's doing," Faith said. "He's going to fight them from the inside."

"That's a fool's errand," Clark said.

"Well, I'm not sure what he's doing, but I know Angel," Buffy said. "He's a hero, and he would never allow himself to work for Wolfram & Hart without a good reason."

"He better have a good one, or I'll treat him the way I've treated all the other vampires Wolfram & Hart have working for them," Clark warned.

Buffy and Faith both glared at him. "You try and hurt Angel, we'll have a serious problem," Buffy said.

"Angel is the best man I've ever known," Faith said. "He didn't give up on me when everyone else did. He saved me."

"He has a soul. He and Spike are the only two vampires that have them. Spike's dead—he died closing the hellmouth, but Angel is still fighting," Buffy said. "I don't know why he's with Wolfram & Hart, but I'll find out."

"I'm going to go there. I'll find out myself," Clark said.

"Trust me. Angel is a hero," Faith said. She got up. "I'm going to tell Vi what we're planning. It's nice meeting you, Superman."

"You, too," Clark said.

"Are you going to sit down?" Buffy asked, gesturing to the sofa she was sitting on.

"Okay," Clark said, sitting near her but leaving a lot of space between them.

"Can I tell you about Angel?" she asked.

"If you want," Clark said.

So Buffy did. She told Clark about how they met, how Angel helped her, and how they fell in love. Then she told him about finding out about the curse and how he changed. Then how she sent him to hell, and how he was returned to her. Then she told him how he'd walked away from her, leaving her to fight all her battles alone.

Clark was surprised by her story—and moved.

"I loved Angel more than anything, and I killed him to save the world," Buffy said. "When he came back to me, I thought it was the universe saying that I wasn't wrong for loving a vampire. That it was okay after all. Then he walked away without a backward glance."

"I'm sorry," Clark said, feeling for her.

"I know he loves me, but his curse keeps us from being together," she said.

"Do you still love him?" Clark asked, curious.

"A part of me will always love him, but it's been years since we were together," Buffy said. "A vampire slayer loving a vampire is a cosmic joke, but no matter what happens, I know that Angel is a good man, who will always try to do what's right."

Clark nodded. "Okay," he said. "I have a plan to help him with Wolfram & Hart."

"You do?" Buffy asked.

"I have a cousin that's like me. My only biological family," Clark shared. "She can go to Los Angeles and help Angel so that the Senior Partners don't find him an easy victim."

"He's not an easy victim," Buffy defended.

"It won't hurt to have back up in place, though, right?" Clark pointed out.

"I suppose not," Buffy said.

Clark stood. "I'll meet you in New York in two weeks. Will that give you enough time to move there?" he asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yes," she said. "We'll give you a crash course in demon hunting 101."

Clark smiled. "I'll see you soon," he said.

He walked out of the front door, not noticing the black SUV that was watching the house.

The soldier pulled out his phone and called the general.

"Superman visited the slayer," he said.

General Lane was silent as he thought of that implication. Superman was targeting Wolfram & Hart, and now he was visiting the slayer.

"This complicates things," he said to his soldier. He hung up and looked at his aid. "We can't move on the slayer. Not yet. We have to see what Superman is going to do next. Scooping up Summers and her team is one thing. Taking on Superman is quite another." He would to see which way the chips would fall.

***** _Los Angeles*****_

Clark flew into Los Angeles, landing in front Wolfram & Hart. He went to the receptionist, who was looking at him shock.

"You're Superman!" the girl shrieked excitedly.

"I am," Clark replied. "I need to speak with the man in charge of this branch. I believe his name is Angel."

"He's on the top floor. I'll tell him you're coming," the receptionist told Clark.

Angel stood when Superman walked into his office. He'd already gotten a call of warning by the higher ups. Superman was on the war path, and Angel was a vampire.

"How can I help you, Superman?" Angel asked.

Superman approached his desk. "You and I need to talk," he said.

Clark would determine whether or not Angel was the man Buffy thought he was. If he wasn't, Clark would take him out like he had all the other vampires he'd encountered working for Wolfram & Hart.

***** _Chapter End*****_

 _I hope you're still reading and enjoy this tell. Lots more to come. Thanks so much! Review and tell me your thoughts._


	7. Chapter 7

**For those that missed out on watching all five seasons of Angel, I wanted to clarify that the timeline is early season 5 of Angel. Cordy eventually dies because of her coma after appearing to Angel and passing on her vision to him. That happens a few months from the current timeline as now Spike is still a ghost, and Cordy is still alive but in a coma. The team is still unaware that Angel had a son and their memories were altered.**

Chapter 7: Team Angel

***** _Los Angeles*****_

Angel wasn't sure what to expect when Superman appeared in front of him, clearly judging him. However, he was determined to win the man to his side.

"Hello," Angel said. "I'm Angel, the CEO here. I believe we have mutual friends." The slayers had been more than free with the fact that Superman had shown up after the fight against the First was over.

"Yes, I have spoken to Buffy about you," Clark said. "She thinks you're a good guy even though you are working for the Wolf, Ram, and Hart—real demons. My name is Kal-El."

"If you will have a seat, I can explain why I agreed to work for them," Angel said, offering a seat in front of his desk to the man. Angel had been around enough powerful beings to recognize one. Superman was definitely not human and not demon. Although there were rumors he was alien, Angel wasn't sure. He didn't keep up much with the news.

"I'd like that," Clark said, sitting down.

Angel decided to come clean with the superhero, telling him about his son Connor, Cordelia and all that happened to bring him to this point. Clark listened without interrupting.

"I've been fighting this law firm for the past four years. There is no one that knows just how evil they are than me," Angel said. "But he is my son, and his time in the hell dimension messed him up. Being raised by my enemy confused him. Cordelia being hijacked by Jasmine and seducing him—it was just all too much."

Clark felt sympathy for the vampire. "I'm not yet a father, but I know what it's like to lose someone you love. I'm sorry for what you've been through," Clark said. "I've been told about the full evil this world faces, and I am not going to ignore or let mankind remain ignorant. Wolfram & Hart offices globally have been notified that I won't tolerate what they're doing. I've killed every vampire I've encountered in their employment but you. Their demon workers were left alone as I don't know enough to know which ones are truly evil."

"If they work for Wolfram & Hart, they are corrupt," Angel said. "However, there are a few species that are just trying to survive and never harm humans. I can provide you with a list."

"That would be helpful," Clark said. "I have a cousin, Kara, here on Earth."

"Really? Is that known?" Angel asked.

"Not by many," Clark said. "She's been going to school and isn't quite ready to be known to the world. She was a teenager when our world, Krypton, was destroyed. I was just a baby when my parents sent me to Earth. I was found and raised by parents here in the United States. However, she got stuck in an anomaly, and she was frozen for over a decade. Now she's a bit younger than me."

"It's good to have someone left from your home," Angel said. "I've only made some good friends since meeting Buffy. They're not family, but I'd be lost without them."

Lorne came in. "I hear that the ultimate Big Guy was here, and I had to see for myself," Lorne said, smiling at Clark. "What a treat! I'd love to have you sing for me."

Clark stood when the demon came into the room, instantly on guard. Angel could sense his sudden tension and immediately assured him. "This is Lorne. He's one of those non-aggressive-would-never-hurt-a-fly demons I was referring to. Lorne, this is Kal-el, known as Superman to the world," Angel said quickly.

"So nice to meet you, Superman. I am a lover not a fighter," Lorne assured him. "I owned this club called Caritas that got trashed by some thugs, and Angel has kept me busy working for him. I'm an empath demon."

"What does that mean?" Clark asked.

"Lorne has people sing for him, and he can tell them their path, get a glimpse of their future," Angel explained.

"Useful gift," Clark said. "Nice to meet you."

"Would you like to sing for me?" Lorne asked. To be able to read this enigma would be a real treat.

Clark shook his head. "I know my path and my future," he said. "It is to safe guard this planet and lead mankind into a path of peace."

"And we want to help you do that," Angel told him. "I promise you that I'm going to use this facility to destroy Wolfram & Hart from the inside—that's it."

"You can't be surrounded by evil without it corrupting you," Clark argued.

"I have a demon in me," Angel pointed out. "I am always surrounded by evil, but I don't let it rule me. It doesn't keep me from my path to redemption."

"I'm glad to hear that," Clark said. He pulled out his phone to send Kara a text. "When Kara gets here, make her a secretary or office assistant. She needs to be here to help you if things get out of hand or the Senior Partners try to harm you and your team. This is the only way I will allow you to continue here."

Angel didn't appreciate the lack of faith, but he understood where Superman was coming from, so he didn't argue. They could always use extra muscle who was incorruptible.

Lorne gave Angel a questioning look. "Superman's cousin is like him, and she's going to join the team," Angel said.

Lorne looked excited. "Our very own superhero? That's amazing!" he gushed. "I can't wait to meet her."

There was knock on the window, and the three men looked. "That's her now," Clark said.

Lorne's mouth fell open as he saw the gorgeous blonde floating outside the office window—she had a backpack on.

"Does she not know we have an entrance downstairs?" Angel asked.

Clark grinned. "Well, I told her where I was and to come to me," he said.

"I'm a vampire who will burst into flames if sunlight hits me," Angel said. "How about you tell her to use the stairs like a normal person?"

"Did you get that, Kara?" Clark said, looking at her.

Kara nodded. "Sorry!" she mouthed and disappeared. Less than a minute later, she was at the office door.

"You really know how to make an entrance!" Lorne said, smiling warmly. "I'm Lorne. I'm from Pylea, another dimension. I work with Angel, not Wolfram & Hart." He held out his hand.

"Oh, well, I guess it's nice to meet you," she said. "I've never met a demon before."

"I've never met a woman as gorgeous as you, and I've met Beyoncé," Lorne said.

Kara blushed. "Thanks," she said. She looked at her cousin. "So is he an evil vampire or what?"

"Oh, Angel-cakes is one of the good guys," Lorne said with a bright smile. "He's always helping people. Without Cordy, though, we are flying a bit blind. She was our conduit to the Powers That Be."

"So they've found a way to sever your connection to the powers that oversee this world?" Clark asked. "That's not good. If you would trust me with her, I might be able to aid her."

"Do you think Jor-El could fix her?" Kara asked.

"Possibly," Clark said.

Angel was dumbfounded. "Really? You think you might be able to help her? She's been in a coma since Jasmine arrived on the scene," Angel said.

"I'd like to try," Clark said. "If we are going to be allies, I'd like to help you. In return, you allow Kara to work here and aid you in any way she can."

"Lorne, will you show Kara around, find a spot for her? I could use a reliable secretary or administrative assistant," Angel said.

"That's great!" Kara said. "I can type really fast!"

Clark smiled, recalling how he'd gotten his first job reporting. "Kara, maybe you can take classes at one of the schools nearby," he suggested.

"I'll help you," Lorne said. "I know lots of people in town, and we'll get you an apartment."

A man walked through the walls. "I hear a flying man with a cape is here visiting you," he said, giving the visitors a look.

"Spike," Angel said impatiently. "Can you not walk through the walls when I have people in my office?"

"It's creepy," Lorne agreed.

"I don't see any cape," Spike said with a frown.

"Spike?" Clark asked. "You're the vampire who aided Buffy in closing the hellmouth?"

"I see my reputation proceeds me," Spike said, puffing out his chest and smirking at Angel, who rolled his eyes. "Superman knows who I am!"

"Is he a ghost?" Kara asked.

"Yes," Angel said. "The necklace I gave him that was used to destroy the hellmouth trapped him inside instead of sending him to a hell dimension. I've not figured out how to make him corporeal yet."

"Does Buffy know he's back?" Clark asked.

"I can't very well call her now, can I?" Spike pointed out.

Clark gave Angel a pointed look. "She has suffered much for the people she lost when that hellmouth was closed. The woman I loved was one of them," he shared, surprising his audience. "Buffy should hear from you that Spike has returned."

"I was afraid of getting her hopes up and then him disappearing," Angel admitted.

"She has her own resources, too," Clark reminded him. "She might be of aid."

"Our Fred is as smart as they come," Lorne said. "She'll figure it out."

"I will take you to Cordy and then call Buffy," Angel assured him.

"Don't tell Little Bit," Spike said. "No need in upsetting her if I can't be restored."

Angel nodded. "I'm sure Buffy would agree," he said.

"Well, sweetcheeks, shall we commence with the tour?" Lorne asked Kara, holding out his arm.

Kara glanced at her cousin, who gave her an encouraging nod. "I'll be in touch," he said.

Kara put her arm through Lorne's and left the office.

"I'll take you to Cordy," Angel said. He didn't want to hope that the alien could help where all other sources failed, but there was something about the man that inspired hope. Angel now understood that he was wearing black for mourning. "I am sorry about your loss."

"Thank you," Clark said. "Lois was impetuous and decided to stay and fight when she found out what was happening in Sunnydale. She had no special powers, but more courage than anyone I've ever met."

"Cordy's like that—she was just a normal girl helping me until my first seer gave his powers to her before he died," Angel said. "She's suffered a lot bearing the visions."

"Well, let's see if we can return her to you," Clark said. He had a feeling that the Senior Partners who offered Angel his deal was keeping Cordelia in a coma—she was Angel's guiding light. Clark knew that without the woman's presence in Angel's life, he would struggle on this path he had chosen.

While Angel was taking Clark to the nearby medical facility that was caring for Cordy, Lorne was showing Kara around.

Kara was enjoying Lorne's friendly chatter. "Here is Gunn's office. He was our street brawler, but now he allowed himself to be downloaded and made into a real attorney," Lorne explained, knocking on the door.

"Come in," Gunn called out. He stood, his eyes widening when he saw Lorne wasn't alone. A very hot blonde was with him. "Who is this lovely lady?"

"Meet our newest hire and member of Team Angel," Lorne said. "This is Kara, a cousin to Superman. He was just here with Angel and agreed not to kill him if we keep her on hand to help keep evil at bay."

"Really? You're Kryptonian?" Gunn asked, holding out his hand to her. "Charles Gunn. It's nice to meet you."

"Thanks," Kara said. "I hope I can help."

"Well, we are in the belly of the beast and can use all the help we can get," Gunn said.

"I'm going to go introduce her to Wes and Fred," Lorne said. "Then we'll have to find her a place to stay."

"I can help with that," Gunn said. "We have several apartments reserved for clients that come to town. I can arrange for one of them to be hers. Do you need a car?"

"Oh, no, I prefer to fly," Kara said with a smile.

"She's also got that superspeed going for her!" Lorne boasted.

"Well, if you decide you want to be a little more low key, let me know," Gunn said. "Come back by, and I'll have the key ready for the apartment."

"That's really nice of you guys," Kara said. "I can just fly back and forth from my home in Kansas. It doesn't take me long."

"Sweetheart, that's an insane commute!" Lorne said. "You have to be local. It'll make things so much easier for you. Your cousin said that you wanted to go to school."

"I'm already taking classes at the University of Kansas," Kara said. "I have to finish out the semester. I only go twice a week."

"That's good," Lorne said. "You can transfer to UCLA. It's probably a bit more liberal than your Kansas school but a top ranked school."

Kara's head was spinning. She had agreed to help her cousin after finding out about the evil rooted in their new home, and she was excited to be a part of a team that regularly fought evil. However, she sensed some strange things in the building, and it made her uncomfortable. They seemed nice, though, so she was hoping she'd be able to help them. Kara didn't want to disappoint Kal-El. He was the only family she had.

***** _The Fortress of Solitude*****_

It had taken over an hour to get all the papers signed so that the hospital would release Cordelia. Fortunately, she was breathing on her own, so she didn't actually need medical transport.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Angel asked, anxious.

"I promise that I will take good care of her," Clark assured him. "If I can't wake her, I will return her to you."

"Do you have a phone number you can give me, so I can call? I have to know what's happening with her," Angel said.

"She means a lot to you, huh?" Clark asked even though he knew the answer.

"I love her," Angel admitted. "It's not the same as Buffy, but Cordy is our heart. I'm cursed and can never be that man for her, but it doesn't mean I don't want to be."

"Maybe she's worth fighting for," Clark prodded. "It doesn't seem like you really fought for Buffy."

Angel flashed him a grim look. "Buffy was different. She doesn't know this, but Joyce—Buffy's mother—asked me to leave town. Pointed out that we didn't really have a future and that I would only hold Buffy back," Angel shared.

"I guess some things aren't meant to be," Clark said, thinking of his own loss. "But I promise that if Cordelia can be helped, I will do it. My number is 620-525-2528."

Angel put it in his own phone. "Thanks," he said. "I appreciate this, Kal."

Clark nodded and bend down and gathered Cordelia gently up in her arms.

"What are you doing?" a nurse asked as Clark was about to carry her out of her room.

"It's okay," Angel said. "Superman is going to take her some place that can help her."

"He can't fly her!" the nurse said. "The exposure to the elements could make her very ill!"

Clark considered that and laid her back down. Then he pulled out his phone. "Oliver, I need a plane that can fly overseas," Clark said. "I have to transport a person to my fortress."

Oliver was silent as he considered the request. "Okay. I can do that," he said. "Who are you transporting?"

"I'll explain later," Clark said.

"Go to LAX, and I will have a plane ready. Give them my name," Oliver said.

"Thanks, Oliver. I owe you one," Clark said.

"No, you don't, Clark. You're my family, and I'm not keeping tabs," Oliver reminded him before hanging up.

"Okay, I'll just take her to the airport. My friend is providing us with a plane," Clark said.

"Do you want to get an ambulance to transport her? It'll be less awkward than you carrying her," Angel pointed out.

Clark smiled. "Fine," Clark said.

That was several hours ago. Now Clark was slowly flying her from the closest airport to his fortress. Luckily, he'd had the foresight to have her bundled up in warm clothes.

When he made it inside his fortress, Jor-el greeted him. "Welcome, my son."

"I have a woman here, Father, who has been used terribly by the demonic forces that plague California," Clark said. "Her name is Cordelia Chase, and she is a seer. The Powers that watch over this world have given her visions to help a champion in Los Angeles. She is in a coma. The doctor says she has normal brain activity, but she won't wake up. Angel, her champion, believes it might be mystical. Do you think you can help her?"

"Put her in the chamber," he ordered. "And I will try."

Clark carefully placed her on the crystal lab, feeling a flash of guilt that he had no pillow. "I need to go to Gotham. I will return in the morning. Will she be okay?" he asked.

"I will care for her until you return," Jor-El said.

Clark closed the chamber. Luckily, he was tireless—there was so much work to be done.

The next step was Gotham.

 _*****Chapter End*****_

 _I really like the idea of Kara in Angel's world and will probably write some more where we see what's happening with her. I hope you enjoyed this update. Please review! Thanks so much!_

 _The next chapter will be Superman meets Batman, and Bruce Wayne learns about slayers—one in particular._


	8. Chapter 8

**I haven't quite decided which Batman I'm picturing. Keaton is my favorite, but I liked Bale a lot too. I'll leave it to you to decide. I hope I did him justice—no pun intended!**

Chapter 8: Gotham

 _******Same Night but in Gotham******_

Faith had flown into Gotham a few hours ago. The hotel she was staying at was way too nice. What was Xander thinking? He'd reserved her a room at one of that mega-millionaire's hotels—the Wayne guy. Faith felt like an imposter in her leather pants and jacket. The front desk guy was eying her like she'd steal the vase on the counter. Then this guy tried to take her bags for her, and she almost decked him, thinking he was going to steal it.

When she got to her room, she called Xander.

"What the hell, Xan? Why did you put me in this palace hotel? People like me don't belong in a place this nice!" she yelled.

"What's that supposed to mean, Faith?" Xander asked. "You rarely touch your expense account, and I thought you should get pampered for once. They have a spa downstairs. I signed you up for a massage and facial tomorrow afternoon."

"Are you f***ing serious? Me get a facial? Have you met me?" Faith asked, feeling uncomfortable at the thought.

"Faith, you are the number two slayer with a hefty salary you never spend except on your bike and steak dinners. I want all my girls to feel like the princesses they are," he said.

Faith scoffed. "I'm no princess. You of all people know exactly what I am," she said without bitterness.

"So you're a little rough around the edges," Xander said. "Giles got access to one of the many Council accounts—thanks to Oliver. The first thing he did was to set up expense accounts for you and Buffy."

"I've only just stopped being a wanted fugitive, Xander. This place isn't for me," she said.

"Well, I'm not asking you to live there, Faith. I want you to experience some pampering. Buy yourself the most expensive dress you can find from the shop in the lobby, and then go eat in the that fancy restaurant they have there," Xander said. "Have fun. Monday, you can go find a real place to stay."

Faith had stepped into the shop Xander mentioned, and one look from the sales lady had sent her running.

Now she was patrolling, and she was pissed. Pissed at Xander, pissed at the sales lady, and pissed at herself for allowing the woman to make her feel like white trash.

She heard some crying down a dark street and moved in that direction. Relieved to see two vampires feeding on one girl and corning another, she ran toward them. This was where she belonged—in the dark fighting for others. "Hey, let her go!" she called.

"Someone else come to join in on our fun," the vampire said.

"I'm the one about to have all the fun," Faith said with an eager grin. Then they were interrupted by a man dressed in black, who landed from the rooftop.

"Oh, look it's the Batman," the other vampire said.

Faith eyed the very tall thing with interest. "You're a bat? Seriously?" she asked with a grin.

"No, I'm a man. One that doesn't tolerate men hurting women," he said. He shot some rope that went around the vampire closest to him.

"What are you doing?" Faith asked the guy. "You can't hold a vampire with a rope."

"Ma'am, I have this. You need to take the other girl and run to safety," the Batman told her.

Faith snickered. "Okay, I'll do that," she said. She grabbed one of the girls that the vampires hadn't fed on yet. "Run that way." The girl took off running. "But I'm going to beat this vamp's ass and then I'm going to dust him."

"I don't murder criminals. I leave them for the cops to arrest," Batman said, a note of disapproval in his voice.

"Okay, you do that. I'll stand here out of your way, and when you fail, I'll come help," she said, a grin still on her face.

Batman didn't know who the woman was, but she seemed too calm. Then the guy broke his rope like it was nothing, and he had to wonder if the woman was serious about her claim of vampire.

"That woman needs medical attention," the woman said. "The vampires feed on humans, so you better hurry if you want to save her."

Batman pushed his cop alert, so Alfred would send his coordinates to the Gotham police. "We need an ambulance here," he said into his comms.

"On its way," Alfred replied.

Then the woman got tired of him waiting, and said, "You're taking too long." She stepped forward and hit the man holding the woman, causing him to drop the woman. Then she reached for the girl and pulled her away from the two guys.

"Take her to the end of the alleyway. An ambulance is coming," the Batman told her.

Faith nodded, deciding the guy had so much leather on that it'd take the vamps a while to bite through anyway. She ripped the girl's shirt and tied it tight around her neck to stem the blood flow and picked her up.

Batman was a bit surprised at the woman's ease as she lifted the victim into her arms and took off running with her. He didn't get much time to watch, though, as the two men attacked him.

They hit him with more power than he expected, and he stumbled back. He kicked one hard in his knee, shattering it. The guy cried out and fell to the ground, leaving him just the one guy, whose face showed a strange deformity.

"You interrupted our meal. Now you have to die," the guy said with an angry growl. Batman used all his defensive moves to keep the man at bay, but he kept coming. He was unusually strong.

"Are you ready for me to tag in yet?" the woman asked. He glanced over and saw that she was alone. She must've guessed his unspoken questions as she continued, "Yea, I took her to the end of the alleyway, but I knew you couldn't handle these two without help as you're obviously a vampire virgin."

"Vampires aren't real," Batman said as the guy hit him hard in the face.

"What the hell are you wearing, man?" the vampire asked, frowning down at his shattered hand.

The other man, whose knee Batman had shattered, stood up, surprising him. "I'll get the girl. She's not covered in hard leather. At least her neck is exposed," the vampire said, charging Faith.

"I do love a vampire that doesn't know when to quit," she said with a cheerful grin. Then she proceeded to beat the crap out of the vampire, wailing on him without stopping. When she took out a stake and stabbed him, the Batman protested.

"Stop! You can't kill him!" he exclaimed.

"Sure, I can," Faith said with a grin. Then she pulled out her hand, and the vampire turned to dust.

Batman didn't know what happened, but he didn't have a chance to react as the other guy knocked him down and then pounced on top of him, forcing his head to the side. Batman realized that the man—or creature—was trying to get at his neck. Was the woman right? Was this a vampire?

Before he could do much more, he was showered in dust. Spitting, he sat up. "What happened?" he asked, looking up at the woman.

"You can thank me," she said smugly.

"Did you kill him with some kind of advanced weaponry?" Batman asked.

The woman held up her wooden stake. "Yeah, this stick is so advanced," she said with a smirk. She held out her hand and easily pulled him to his feet.

"You're strong," he said.

"I should be. I'm a vampire slayer. Killing vampires and demons is my gig. You need to stick to the human criminals," she said.

"You can't go around killing people. I'm going to have to arrest you," he said, throwing a rope around her.

"Okay, now you're just being stupid," Faith said. She struggled a bit at the rope. Then she ripped it apart. "These ropes won't hold vampires, demons, or girls like me. Get some with some steel in them, and you'll have better luck."

Batman thought about what she was saying. "Are you saying that you are like those men?"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" the woman said. "Those weren't men. They were _vampires_. I can't be arrested for killing men who are already dead but imbued with demons."

"It's still not right," Batman said stubbornly.

"Whatever," the girl said dismissively. She turned to walk away, so he grabbed her arm. Then she punched him so hard that his head snapped back. "Don't ever grab me." He watched her go, his jaw throbbing.

He went to the rooftop and followed her. When she went into his own hotel, he stared down in bemusement. Who the hell was this woman?

***** _The Next Day*****_

Faith got up at noon and ordered room service. She decided that she was going to go for it. Her massage was scheduled for two, so she took a shower.

While she was getting her massage, Bruce Wayne was downstairs waiting to identify the mystery woman from the night before. His staff was freaking out at his continual presence behind the counter, but he knew that he had to find this woman and try to figure out what game she was playing. She also knew more about those creatures she somehow turned to dust. The entire situation was one big puzzle, and Bruce was excellent at solving puzzles.

When she came down and he saw her in the bright lights of the lobby, he sucked in a breath. The woman was incredibly gorgeous, walking with the caged energy of a predator yet still swinging the hips, drawing all male eyes toward.

"Hello, ma'am," Bruce said, smiling.

"Hey, handsome," she said, eying him with interest. "Can you tell me where the massage place is? I scheduled an appointment."

"If you'll just give me your name," he prodded.

"Faith. Faith Lehane," she said.

Bruce typed her name into the computer and pulled her up. "It's down that hall to the left," he said, pointing.

He watched her walk away and then pulled out his phone, sending her name to Alfred. He would find out everything he needed to know about this woman.

An hour later, a very relaxed Faith came out of the spa with a smile on her face. Maybe, Xander had a point. She could get used to massages and high-quality food. Of course, the thread count on her bed was meaningless, but the other perks were nice. She paused in front of the high-class boutique, wondering if she should go in again, but she still hesitated.

"Do you need a dress?" a voice behind her asked.

Faith recognized the very hot hotel guy. "Well, hello," she said.

"I'm Bruce. Can I help you find a dress?" he asked.

"You work here, right?" Faith asked. It would figure that the high-class hotel would have personal shoppers for the guest. Good way to pad the bill—clever.

"I do," Bruce said. As the owner, he never stopped working.

"I just don't know how to shop in a place this nice. I grew up in South Boston on the wrong side of the tracks," she admitted. "This fancy hotel really isn't me."

"Then what brings you here if I may ask?" Bruce wondered.

"Well, my employers are relocating me here, and they put me up in this place for the weekend as I rarely touch my expense account," she said. "I'm going to look for a place to live on Monday."

"I've lived in this town my entire life, I'm sure I could be of assistance," he said.

Faith smirked. "You know I'm not rich, right? You'd be better trying your luck at some other woman staying here," she said.

Bruce's laugh was genuine. "No, I'm not trying to come on to you. Just being friendly," he said.

"I wanted to get a nice dress to eat in the overpriced restaurant over there," she said, pointing to the restaurant.

"I could help you," he suggested.

Faith eyed him, trying to decide if she could trust him. He was extremely good-looking and well-dressed. Several inches taller than her with warm brown eyes and brown hair, he wouldn't really stand out in a crowd. However, there was something in his eyes. Faith felt a tinge of recognition as she sensed that he knew loss. He tried to cover the pain with his friendly smile, but she wasn't fooled.

"Why don't you pick out a dress for me? Send it up to my room. If you're free, you could have dinner with me," she suggested, deciding that she'd take him for a spin.

Bruce couldn't believe how easy the young woman was making everything for him. "Of course. It'd be my pleasure. How about seven for dinner?" he suggested.

"Make it six. I have somewhere to be after sunset," she said.

"I will send up a dress," he said.

"Do you want to know my size?" Faith asked with a saucy grin.

Bruce looked her up and down and smirked. "Not necessary," he said. "I got it." Then he turned and walked into the shop.

Faith couldn't help but laugh.

***** _About Two Hours Later*****_

Clark had called Oliver to ask him for the address of Bruce Wayne.

"He's a rich, busy guy, Clark," Oliver said. "You can't just expect him to see you. He might not even be home. It's a weekend."

"Which means he won't be at work," Clark said. "I will go to his house, and he is bound to appear at some point."

"I don't get why you want to see him," Oliver said. "I know Bruce Wayne, and he could care less about the things we care about it. Fast cars and fast women are all he focuses on besides his company."

"He's got money, and I want to feel him out about Wolfram & Hart. They have an office in Gotham," Clark said. "We need allies in every city, and we can't be everywhere."

"You know Buffy's number two, Faith, is in Gotham this weekend. There's a strong influx of crime in the area, and her team thinks it could mean a hellmouth is forming," Oliver said.

"I think the newly called slayers have upset the balance of power," Clark said. "Things will get worse before they get better."

"I'm in Star City for the same reason. The criminal element in the city is getting out of hand," he said.

"Can't the slayers help with that?" Clark asked.

"They won't," Oliver said. "It's too dangerous for them. If they accidentally kill a human, it can send them off the rails. I guess that happened with Faith back when she was like sixteen. It traumatizes them. A slayer isn't a killer."

"They are killers, Oliver. They just kill specific things," Clark said. "It's semantics."

"Maybe, but I'd not go saying that around them," Oliver said. "Faith in particular is a hit first and ask questions later kind of girl."

Now Clark was flying above the Wayne Manor, trying to decide his approach. He settled gently onto the man's upstairs balcony.

He was surprised when the glass doors opened, but he walked in.

"Well, I am very surprised to receive a visit from the man of steel himself," a voice said.

Clark looked and saw Bruce Wayne standing up behind his desk. The balcony was outside of a library of some kind.

"You were expecting me?" Clark asked as he moved in closer.

"Oliver Queen sent me an email alerting me that you had something you wanted to discuss with me," Bruce said.

Clark held out his hand. "Kal-El," he said, giving him his Kryptonian name.

"Bruce Wayne. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said. He looked over Clark's outfit, noting he was robed much differently than normal and made an obvious conclusion. "I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Clark said, not caring how the man had correctly guessed his state of being. "The woman I loved was murdered on a hellmouth that was opened in Sunnydale, California."

"The town that is now a crater?" Bruce asked, intrigued. He'd been researching vampires and vampire slayers ever since his encounter last night, so the term hellmouth was familiar to him.

Clark nodded. "Yes. A group of young women—supernaturally empowered vampire slayers—saved the world by keeping it closed," he said. "I have been made aware of the global threat that the supernatural monsters pose, and I have been putting certain groups on notice."

"Wolfram & Hart?" Bruce suggested. "I heard that you'd been attacking them. They've filed a civil suit against you, you know."

"So Oliver told me," Clark said. "I will expose the truth that sits in darkness to the world if I need to. Groups like them that actively seek to empower evil will be brought down by any means at my disposal. You need to know that street thugs are not the only threat to your city."

"Yes, I've recently been made aware of that myself," Bruce said. "Why are you telling me, though? I have no power or authority outside of the properties and businesses I own."

"I'm telling you because I know what you do at night," Clark revealed.

Bruce stared at him in surprise. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"Don't worry. I never told Oliver," Clark said. "But there's not many secrets that can be kept from a man who can hear anything he wants if he tries hard enough. Batman couldn't do what he does without a lot of money. You're the only one in town with the means." Of course, he didn't share that it was Lois who had first suspected that Batman's identity was Bruce Wayne. Clark had just confirmed it.

Bruce laughed. "I think you have on heck of an imagination," he said.

"Your secret's safe with me," Clark said. "I do know a group of people, though, that would like you to join them—the Justice League. They are working with the slayers and other superheroes to protect the world from global threats."

Bruce debated on how to proceed. Did he confirm what the man knew about him? Could he trust him? Bruce was wary of anyone with the power that this man had. Who could stand against him if he went rogue?

"What about the threat that _you_ pose?" he asked, surprising Clark.

"What do you mean?" Clark wondered.

"You are impervious to all known weapons. What if you decide to rule Earth? Who could withstand you?" Bruce challenged.

Clark was so surprised at his words that he was silent for a long moment. Finally, he admitted, "I'm not without vulnerabilities. The Justice League knows mine, so if I ever get corrupted, they have the means to destroy me."

Now, that intrigued Bruce. "Really?" he asked.

Clark nodded. "Yes. You can be assured that I will never let the Earth be threatened by anyone—not even me," he said.

"Are you in charge of this Justice League?" Bruce asked.

Clark shook his head. "No. My best friend and her husband are, however," he replied.

Now Bruce was even more intrigued. What kind of friend did this man make? Genuine interest in this league formed. He needed to know the players at the very least.

"I'm not ready to share all my secrets with people I don't know," he said.

"I can arrange a meeting. Wear your disguise," Clark said.

"Okay," he said as curiosity won out.

"Do you have any dealings with Wolfram & Hart?" Clark asked.

Bruce shook his head. "No. Their practices are unsavory, and I have made a point to never do business with them or their clients," he said.

"Good. Then you won't be hurt by the fallout," Clark said. "There's a slayer in town to keep the demon population in check. You should work with her."

"I've met her. Faith, right?" Bruce said. "Do you know her?"

Clark shook his head. "No, but she's the second strongest of the slayers—their number two," he shared.

"Did you know she has a criminal record? She was arrested for murder, and she spent time in prison," Bruce said. "That's not really someone I want in my city with that kind of power."

Clark knew very little about this woman except one thing. "She fought with her sisters to keep Sunnydale closed, so whatever she did, I'm sure she paid her dues," he said. "I don't know everything yet about the slayers—their leader is the one I know, and she is extraordinary. Faith is called the Dark Slayer because she made mistakes. These girls are called to fight monsters when they're fourteen or fifteen. Imagine that. They are bound to make mistakes."

Bruce frowned. "That seems wrong," he said.

"It is, but it's their reality. A reality that they have no control on. The power is just given to them—they are chosen by some higher power who rules over this planet. I've not really studied the religion of it, so you'd have to ask Faith. If you've met her, you should get to know her before passing judgment on her," Clark advised.

Bruce nodded. "I can do that," he said. "I am actually meeting her for dinner, so I have to go."

"Thanks for letting me drop in like this," Clark said.

"Well, I don't want my city overrun with demons or vampires," Bruce said. "I appreciate you keeping me in the loop. Tell your group to contact me for a meeting. I'll try to make time to meet them."

Clark nodded. "I will," he said. He turned to leave. "Time to go clean house at the Gotham Wolfram & Hart."

Bruce watched him fly away. "Alfred, did you catch that?" he asked.

His butler and only family came into the room. "I did, sir," he replied.

"What did you think?" he asked.

"I knew a gentleman at Oxford who said he was part of a group of men called Watchers that battled the supernatural," Alfred shared.

"Really? Can you find out what he knows about these slayers? I want the name of their leader," he said.

"I will see what I can find out," Alfred told him.

Bruce was more than ready to have his dinner with the so-called vampire slayer.

****** _Chapter End******_

 _I thought this was a good place to stop. For Buffy fans, sorry that I didn't get to her. This story is turning epic as so many ideas keep coming to me. I'll probably spend one more chapter on Gotham as I feel like I did pretty good with it. Do you agree? Review and tell me your thoughts!_


	9. Chapter 9

**I couldn't smoothly transition back to Bruce and Faith, so I will tell their story in chapter 10. I hope you enjoy this update.**

Chapter 9: Not Invulnerable

***** _Where We Left off in Gotham******_

While Bruce Wayne was driving over to his hotel to meet Faith for dinner, Clark was going to make his stop at Gotham's Wolfram & Hart office. However, he got a call from Buffy.

"Clark, can you come to New York? I have something you should see," Buffy told him.

"Okay," he said. He changed direction and flew to Buffy's.

"Glad you could make it," Buffy said, greeting him with a warm smile.

"Not a problem. I was in Gotham about to pay the Wolfram & Hart office a little visit," he shared. "I'll get to them soon or later."

Buffy laughed. "I do admire your single-minded dedication," she said.

Clark grinned. "You're pretty dedicated yourself," he observed. "So what's up?"

"Well, you know that Faith and I had slayer dreams about a new threat rising?" she asked. When he nodded, she continued, "We haven't seen a direct major threat yet, which has me more anxious than normal. In the meantime, the gangs in New York are doing something screwy."

"Screwy?" Clark said in amusement. "Is that a technical term?"

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "Yes. It means things aren't the way they should be," she explained. "I think the gangs in the Bronx have organized with the gangs here in Queens."

"And that concerns you why? I thought your mission wasn't to take on the human criminals?" he asked.

"It's not, but this is different," Buffy said. "The police have been finding half-eaten bodies."

Clark grimaced. "Seriously?" he asked. "Half-eaten?"

Buffy nodded. "Yes. That has to be demon related," she said.

"So what do you think is happening?" he asked.

"Well, my first thought is some type of human sacrifice ritual," she said. "In high school, Cordelia dated this guy who was head of a fraternity that worshipped a demon that gave the members wealth and prestige. I was talked into going on a double date, and we both were drugged and nearly sacrificed to the demon."

"Wow," Clark said, shaking his head. "You guys don't do anything half-way, do you?"

Buffy grinned. "Nope," she said. "Then a similar demon named Avilas was summoned by some of Dawn's classmates during our last few months in Sunnydale. I was working at the school as a guidance counselor, so I was there to stop that one before anyone got hurt. He was a really ugly demon, vulnerable to fire."

"Why are kids summoning demons? Don't they have enough videos to play anymore?" Clark asked.

"Well, the internet exposes kids today to all kinds of new things. They come across a reference to get-rich-quick schemes, and that rabbit hole leads them to summoning demons that can empower them," Buffy said.

"Does it work?" Clark asked.

Buffy shrugged. "A bit. The fraternity had major bankruptcy hit all its current and past members after I slayed the demon," she said. "So they can manipulate wealth to a degree. But the price is literal human sacrifice."

"And people do it?" Clark asked, horrified and disgusted.

"Unfortunately, they do," she said. "Although I was able to stop the high school kids, the fraternity had been sacrificing virgins for decades. One or two a year."

"If that's happening here, we have to stop it," he said.

"Yes," Buffy agreed. "The thing is there's various types of demons that do this kind of thing. It's going to take some real research. I don't have many books here. Giles is doing some research for me back in England."

"I can go to him and help with that," Clark offered.

"Really? That'd be great," she said.

"But I need to go to my fortress and check on Cordelia," he said.

"I can't believe you stepped in to help her like that," Buffy said. "It's really great of you."

"I'm glad I could help. I mean, I hope Jor-El can help her," he said.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"He's the artificial intelligence version of my Kryptonian father," Clark shared.

Buffy looked at him in surprise. "Huh?" she asked.

Clark grinned. "Yes, it's weird but normal for Kryptonians. They were very advanced in the sciences," he said. "My parents were prominent scientists on our home world. They downloaded their consciousness into these crystals, so I could learn from them even after they're gone."

"That's pretty incredible," Buffy said. "I would love to have a piece of my mother still. When I died for a few months nearly three years ago, Dawn took a lot of comfort in this robot that looked exactly like me, had my memories and stuff. It totally creeped me out, but it helped her while I was gone."

Clark nodded. "It does help, but sometimes Jor-El thinks he knows what's best for me," Clark said. "He doesn't have the human instincts that I do, so sometimes we have some serious conflict. But other times, he really helps. He's the one who taught me about the supernatural threat and how our god Rao once defeated such creatures like your Old Ones."

"Really?" Buffy said. Giles would be so fascinated. "You totally have to share that with Giles. He'll flip. He loves learning like I love playing with knives."

Clark laughed. "I don't think I've ever known any—male or female—that would admit to that," he said.

"Well, Faith is worse than me," Buffy said, looking sheepish.

"Bart told me how fearless you were in the face of a three-headed demon," Clark said.

Buffy laughed. "Bart screamed like a little kid. It was really funny," she said.

"I would've liked to have seen that," Clark said, amused.

"So will you come back here or head to Giles?" Buffy asked.

"I will probably go home for the night and head to England tomorrow. Text me his address and let him know I'm coming," Clark said as he stood.

"I will. Thanks," Buffy said.

Clark said goodbye and left Buffy standing at her balcony watching him fly away.

After he left New York, Clark went home to sleep. When he woke, he packed a bag in a large satchel that he could easily carry over his shoulders. Before flying to England, he stopped and had breakfast with Chloe and Oliver, assuring them both that he was okay. He filled Oliver in on the Batman connection he made in Gotham.

"So this guy is willing to join the League?" Oliver asked.

"He just found out about vampires and the supernatural after he saw Faith fighting some vampires two days ago," Clark said. "I am not sure that he's fully processed it, but he definitely is interested in finding out more about what you do."

"Do you know who the Batman is?" Oliver asked.

Clark nodded.

"Who is it?" Chloe asked excitedly.

"That's not my secret to tell. Just like your identity is your own," Clark said.

"What about Wayne? Did you tell him about what you're doing?" Chloe asked.

"I did speak briefly with Mr. Wayne also, and he said he never used Wolfram & Hart lawyers due to their unsavory business practices," Clark said.

"Well, at least he has some good instincts," Oliver said.

Chloe frowned, her mind racing with too many thoughts. "So Bruce Wayne is a very wealthy man with an entire science department on his payroll," she said.

"Yea, so?" Oliver asked.

Chloe looked at her husband expectantly. "It hasn't occurred to you that Batman only operates in the town the Wayne lives in?" she pointed out.

Clark worked hard to keep his smile of his face. Chloe was almost as sharp as Lois when it came to people. He felt a pang as he thought of Lois, and he had to push the thoughts away. He didn't want to get lost in his grief—there was too much to do.

Oliver frowned as he considered Chloe's question. "What? You think that he's part of Batman's team? Supplying him?" he asked.

"He has to be or he's Batman himself," Chloe said.

Oliver burst out laughing. "No way that entitled asshole is Batman," he said. "I know him, remember?"

"You know him about as well as he knows you," Chloe reminded him. "Wouldn't he be shocked to know you're the Green Arrow?"

Oliver thought about it a minute. "Well, I went through something that changed me. Stranded on an island for five years. As far as I know, Bruce hasn't had anything happen to him in the past decade. He was a kid when his parents were killed," he said.

"How about you not worry about who Batman is?" Clark said. "If he joins the League, I'm sure he'll show you who he is. Then you don't have to argue about who he might be."

"True," Oliver said. "I'd bet money, though, it's not Bruce."

"I'll take that bet," Chloe said smugly. She held out her hand.

"What's mine is yours," he reminded her.

"Fine. No money. I want a spa day if I'm right," she said. "If you're right, I'll let you redecorate our bedroom like you wanted to."

Oliver's eyes lit up. "Bet," he said, shaking his wife's hand.

Clark laughed. "Okay. I'm glad you got that worked out," he said. He stood. "Thanks for breakfast. I need to go to my fortress and check on Cordelia. Then I'm off to England to do research with Buffy's mentor Mr. Giles."

"Okay, keep us posted," Chloe said, giving him a hug goodbye. She was glad to see that he wasn't giving in to despair.

Clark flew to his fortress. "Jor-El? How's Cordelia?" he asked.

"She is in stasis, my son. I believe after several days she will emerge transformed, free of all the poison that had kept her in a coma," he shared.

"What did you have to do? What does transform mean exactly?" Clark asked.

"I fused your Kryptonian DNA to hers in order to repair the damage done both her body and her mind," he said.

"You did _what_?" Clark exclaimed.

"She will emerge the last daughter of Krypton—and your sister," Jor-El said.

Clark's mind reeled as he tried to take in that information. "You turned her into a Kryptonian? Why would you do such a thing? You can't go around changing a person without their permission!" he exclaimed.

"I had no choice, my son. I could not help her unless I did it," Jor-El said. "The trauma her body has gone through was too severe."

Clark walked over to the pod and wiped the small window and saw Cordelia resting peacefully inside. "She's going to be okay now?" he asked.

"She will be well as soon as she emerges from the pod," Jor-El said.

"Please have her come to my mother's in Smallville if I am not here when she awakens," Clark said. "I have to help Buffy with some demons, so I can't hang around."

"Learning to find places during superspeed running or flying takes time," Jor-El said. "However, I will tell her where you will be if you do not come when she is ready to leave."

"Okay. I will speak with you in a week or so," Clark said. He rested his hand on the pod a moment, sending his new sister warm wishes.

Now he had to tell his mother. Not sure what he would say, he flew to Kansas to let her know.

Martha Kent took the news like she took everything—with grace and acceptance. "Oh, my," she said. She was quiet a long moment, and then she smiled. "Well, this is wonderful for you, Clark. A full sibling who can understand exactly what you're going through."

"I have Kara, Mom. She understands," Clark reminded her.

"Of course, dear," Martha said. "I love Kara. But it's never a bad thing to have more family, especially as your father and I could never give you a sibling."

Clark smiled and hugged her. "I don't know how I got so lucky to end up here with you and dad, but I'm grateful every day. I hope you know that," he told her.

Martha smiled up at him. "No one was as happy as I, Clark," she told him. "You can't know what it's like to want to have a baby and be told it will never happen. There was a hole inside me that no amount of love from your father could ever fill. He felt so helpless, and we were both wanting to have a child of our own. Then you came—like a gift from the heavens. And now I want you to tell me everything you know about this young lady."

"I don't know everything, but I know she was from Sunnydale and fought alongside Buffy and her friends until she went to Los Angeles," Clark said. "Then she joined Angel, Buffy's ex, to help people there. After a bit, she became Angel's seer, getting visions of people who needed help."

His mother listened avidly as he gave her the tale that Angel had told him—the Cordy parts. His mother was horrified at the violation done to Cordelia and could not wait to mother the poor girl.

"I will ask Buffy to tell me more about her, and I will call you," Clark said.

"Please do," Martha said. "Where are you going now?"

"I'm going to England to meet Buffy's mentor. He has some books that might help uncover some demons that are sacrificing humans in New York," Clark shared.

Martha looked ill. "To know such evil exist breaks my heart," she said.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have told you," he said, feeling guilty.

"No, Clark, I need to be a part of your life," she said. "I want to know what you are doing. I need to be there for you, Clark. I can deal."

Clark nodded, knowing she was strong. However, she didn't need to know how truly evil humanity could be. She was too good, and it was his job to protect her as best as he could.

***** _Two Weeks Later*****_

Clark spent a over a week working with Buffy in New York and flying to England to do research with her mentor Giles. His collection of books was impressive. Of course, Clark's Kryptonian brain allowed him to flip through books like they were a magazine. First, he would read a book that had information on whatever language the book was written in. Then he would read the book. When he did it for the first time in front of Giles, Giles was nonplussed. "Dear Lord," he muttered. "Can you actually absorb all that knowledge so quickly?"

Clark looked a bit embarrassed. "Yes, my brain doesn't work like a human's. Kryptonians have perfect recall and can process knowledge instantly," he said.

"Fascinating," Giles said. "Scientists on Earth have always claimed that humans could learn to use more of their brain. Your people have evolved the way humans have not."

Clark nodded. "Yes, science was the main religion on Krypton. Unfortunately, the hunger for more scientific advancement actually led to the explosion of our planet," he shared.

"Really? How so?" Giles asked.

"Kryptonians were always looking for alternative power sources, more ways to harness energy," Clark said. "Remember, we lived under a red sun, not a yellow. The red sun did not empower us the way the yellow sun empowers me. A group of scientists thought that drilling into our planet's core was a good idea."

"Oh dear," Giles said as he realized the implication.

"Yes," Clark said.

"We are very fortunate, though, that your parents chose Earth for you," Giles said, smiling at the young man. He was so powerful, but he was modest and a bit shy. His brain worked on a level that no humans did, yet he never made his genius known like most people would. In so many ways, he was an example of the way all humans should be. The more Giles got to know Clark, the more he approved and liked the man.

"Thanks," Clark said, giving him a shy smile. "Earth has been the only home I remember. However, since I became an adult, I have learned much about Krypton from my father Jor-El's A.I."

"A.I.?" Giles asked.

"His artificial intelligence. It's the way Kryptonians can preserve memories," Clark explained. "Jor-El has taught me our people's history, religion, and family traditions. He is the one I have left Cordelia with."

"Is Cordelia going to be all right?" Giles asked.

Clark nodded. "I believe so," he said. "Jor-El seemed confident that he could help her." He never told Giles what was done to save her, however. It would be best to see how she emerged from stasis.

Giles couldn't help but envy such power and knowledge. Yet he knew that humans were too susceptible to greed, and they would not be able to handle such gifts that Clark had. Clark was very special, though, and Giles wasn't too worried about him. Even after a short time, Giles felt that Clark would always be a gift to Earth, never a threat.

As for Clark, he learned much from Giles and his library.

Finally, he, Giles, and Buffy narrowed down the demons that were responsible for the human sacrificing. Clark said goodbye to Giles and went back to New York, ready to help Buffy put the demons down.

Buffy had three slayers living with her and Dawn in New York. Two of the girls had located the demon stronghold after spending a week trailing local gangs.

"It's time to put a stop to this," Buffy told Clark.

"What can I do?" Clark asked.

"Well, these guys are like the one I faced most recently," she said. "That means they'll be vulnerable to fire. Use your fire vision, and I'll chop their heads off with my nifty scythe."

Clark grinned. "It's heat vision," he corrected.

"It causes fires; it doesn't warm things up," Buffy argued, a glint in her eye. "Fire vision is totally better."

Clark chuckled, amused by her. "Okay. I'll give you that," he said.

They teamed up and hit the warehouse where the demon clan was congregating. There were six demons. Buffy went with the shock and awe method, slicing and dicing while Clark fired his eye fire at them. "We should've brought some marshmallows," she quipped as she slicked through the legs of the nearest demon he had caught on fire.

Clark looked a bit shocked at her comment, and then he laughed. Lois would've loved her. When the demon fell, she quickly took off its head.

"Three down, three to go!" Buffy said with a happy grin.

Clark watched her, impressed with the way she moved. He had never seen anyone—male or female—move the way she did in a fight. Nor did he know anyone that seemed to enjoy the fight the way she did. Lois always enjoyed knocking a big guy on his ass, but that was more about feminism and making her father proud than a real love of battle. For Buffy, it was like she came alive with the scythe in her hand and a demon in front of her.

He helped her dispense with the last two. "Cool," Buffy said, looking at the dead demons with satisfaction.

"Should we get rid of the bodies?" Clark asked.

"You have the superstrength, so I think you can handle it," she said, flashing him a cheeky grin.

"You also have superstrength, and I believe in feminism," he countered.

"I'm an old-fashioned gal and expect the man to get rid of the bodies," she said.

Clark laughed. "Fine. I'll do it," he said. In a blur, he grabbed the bodies and put them into a large pile and burned them completely to ash.

"Perfect," Buffy said. They turned to leave. "You really know how to show a gal a good time."

"I think you really need to start dating again," Clark said. "This was _not_ a good time."

"You say toma-toe; I say to-mato," she said.

When they made it back to her house, the other slayers were miffed that she didn't wait for them.

"Don't worry. We still have to find the demon nest in the Bronx," she said. "Clark won't stick around for that one, so you girls will have plenty of demons to kill."

Clark didn't think he would ever get use to girls being so excited at the prospect of killing monsters. Shaking his head, he said goodbye and flew off.

Buffy watched him go with a sigh. He was so different from any guy she had ever met, but he was so strong.

 _Bad Buffy_ , she thought. It would be a very long time before Clark would be ready to let another woman into his life or heart.

****** _The Next Day*****_

Clark went home to Metropolis and turned in a story. He was a part-time freelancer since Lois died. Perry understood how hard it was for him, so he didn't make Clark report to the office. Seeing Lois' empty desk every day was not something he was ready for. Perry understood that as he couldn't bear it either and rarely came out of his office except to head to the elevator. Lois Lane had been the heartbeat of the Daily Planet for the past few years and losing her while she was on a story devastated everyone who worked with her. Clark was publishing corruption pieces about various clients of Wolfram & Hart whenever he could verify the facts. The rule of two sources was sacred to Perry, so Clark had to always find a source besides Superman. Sometimes, he couldn't, so he moved on to another subject. He was determined to make Wolfram & Hart suffer in any way he could.

Then it was time to head back to Gotham and put Wolfram & Hart on notice, so he flew there that afternoon.

This time, though, Wolfram & Hart was prepared. Psychics were on watch, waiting for him to arrive. As soon as he landed outside the front door, a silent alarm went off throughout the building. The flashing S was seen on every computer monitor in every office, so all the employees knew Superman was on the premises. Clark only made it to the front lobby. They had their witch and warlocks working on a containment spell, and Clark was caught completely unprepared.

A man in a suit stood next to the chanting women. "You are no longer welcome in any of Wolfram & Hart properties," he said to Clark.

"I am here to put you on notice. Employing vampires will not be tolerated," Clark said.

"You aren't in any position to dictate anything to Wolfram & Hart," the man said. He nodded at his witches.

Before Clark could react, he was trapped in an invisible box that he couldn't get out of.

 _*****To Be Continued*****_

 _Cordelia will make an appearance in the next chapter, so I hope you read the companion piece written by DarthTenebrus "Cordelia Chase, Last Daughter of Krypton." It explains her incredible transformation. It is on The Twisted Hellmouth, another fanfiction site I post at. Here is the link to it. Cut and paste it into your browser. Try to read it before my next update. Delete all the extra spaces, of course, as this site blocks any web addresses. The word dot should be a period. **www. tthfanfic DOT org/ Story-32940/DarthTenebrus+Cordelia+Chase+Last+Daughter+of+Krypton. htm.** If you can't get it to work, Google The Twisted Hellmouth and then type in the story. I promise you will be glad that you took the time._


	10. Chapter 10

**I hope everyone made time to read DarthTenebrus' companion piece "Cordelia Chase, Last Daughter of Krypton" before you read this as it explains Cordelia's transformation.**

 **This chapter is starting in Gotham with Bruce and Faith. I hope the jumping around isn't too confusing. You may want to go back to chapter 8 and reread it and chapter 9.**

Chapter 10: A New Chapter

 _******Back in Gotham where chapter 8 left off*****_

Bruce was thinking about his encounter with Superman—Kal-el as he drove to meet Faith. He wasn't what Bruce expected. His desire to root out evil was driving him. It was clear to Bruce that something was driving Superman. He most likely had lost someone from a demon or vampire, and now he was determined to eradicate the evil. Bruce could both respect that and relate to it as it was his parents' death that propelled him to want to stomp the corruption in Gotham.

When he walked into the restaurant for his dinner with Faith, he looked for her at a table, but he didn't see her. Instead, he saw the red dress he'd picked out for her at the bar.

Faith took a sip of her beer—it was in a fancy frosted mug and scanned the room. Her eyes connected with Bruce, and she grinned. The dress he picked out made her sexy as shit, and she smirked as he approached and took it in. The girls were on prime display with the revealing neckline. The dress had a V-neck and stopped at her mid-thigh, hugging her closely. Her hair was loose and looking fine as the rest of her.

"Well, hello," he said, giving her an admiring glance. "I knew the dress would look good on you."

"Yes, it does," she said, looking smug and proud. She hopped off the bar stool and gave a little turn. She paused with her back toward him and looked at him over her shoulder. "My ass is looking prime in this, huh?"

Bruce laughed, enjoying her confidence. "It most definitely is," he agreed. He held out his arm. "Shall we?"

The waiter was waiting for them in his normal table in the corner. Bruce helped her to her seat, much to her amusement.

"I don't think I've ever had a guy help me sit down before," she said, feeling both flattered and awkward.

"You don't know guys with manners," he told her.

The waiter handed them the menus and looked at Bruce expectantly, asking, "What wine would you like to have tonight, Mr. Wayne?"

Faith didn't hear his answer as she focused on the name, and then it dawned on her. "You are Bruce f*** Wayne!" she exclaimed.

"Well, normally I don't introduce myself quite so colorfully," he said with a smile.

Faith frowned, not sure if she should be pissed her not. "Why didn't you tell me you were Bruce Wayne?" she asked, suspicious.

"Well, I told you my first name," he said. "Most people in Gotham know who I am on sight. It was clear to me that you didn't. It was kind of nice."

"You're paying for dinner," she said.

"Of course," he said.

"I eat a lot," she informed him.

Bruce grinned. "I can afford it," he said. Then he started doing what he normally did when out to dinner with a beautiful woman—he went for charm and very little insincerity. However, he found that with this woman, his smile was real.

She ordered a very expensive steak, looking smug. When the steak arrived and she tasted it, though, she moaned in ecstasy.

Bruce's eyes widened as he saw her expression. Her eyes were closed, and a look of pleasure rested on her face.

In dismay, he realized that his body was reacting strongly to her as it sounded like she was in the midst of sex.

"This is the best steak thing I've ever put in my mouth!" she said as she savored the taste.

Bruce couldn't resist arching an eyebrow and saying, "Really?"

Faith's eyes opened at his tone, and then she saw his knowing look and smirked. "Absolutely," she told him. "Of course, I'm always open to putting new things in my mouth if a good opportunity presents itself."

Bruce could feel his dick come to strong attention at her words and sultry look. Then her tongue slowly caressed her lips, and he debated what to do next. It would be easy to just take her to bed, but he had a feeling that sex and men came too easily to her. Did she respect an easy conquest? He doubted it, so he decided to play it cool.

"That's good to know," he said, picking up his wine glass.

Faith was impressed at his self-control as she knew exactly the effect she had on men. However, she didn't let his obvious charms distract her from her meal even ordering dessert.

Finally, she was full and sat back. "Now that was definitely a five-star meal," she said. "Your chef deserves a raise."

"I'll make sure of it," he said, grinning at her.

She'd been so focused on her food that she'd barely looked at him, so they had not wasted time on idle chit-chat. Now, however, he had her attention. "So, Bruce, tell me about yourself," she said.

"What do you want to know?" he asked. "Most of my life is open to public consumption."

"I'm sure there's more to you than careless playboy who has more money than most others on the planet," she said. "What do you like to do for fun? Crossword puzzles? Bowling? Extreme sports?"

The idea of him bowling amused her. "I bet you're a hardcore bowler, huh?" she asked with a grin of amusement.

"I'm good at most sports," he said modestly. "But I don't spend too much time bowling. My job as the figurehead of Wayne Enterprises does have me on the golf course with other business associates, but I can't say that I enjoy golf. It's not much of a challenge."

"So extreme sports?" Faith said with a knowing grin.

"Well, I've been known to enjoy an extreme sport or two," he said, thinking of rappelling across town from high rises dressed as Batman.

"I knew it!" she said smugly. "I would totally love skydiving. I tried to get B to do it with me once, but she chickened out. Just because of that one time where she dived of a high-rise building to save her sister and died for a little bit, she's now a bit wigged out at the thought of plunging from heights."

"Your friend Bee died for a little bit?" he asked puzzled.

Faith winced as she realized what she said. For some reason, she found him easy to talk to. Considering who he was, that was extremely odd. "Buffy—her name is Buffy, and she's like my sister. We fight a lot, and we've really hurt each other in the past. But when it comes down to it, we're family even without the blood," she said. "Do you have anyone like that in your life?"

Bruce nodded. "Yes, Alfred—he's the man who raised me when my parents were murdered when I was twelve," he shared.

"Man, that sucks balls," Faith said in sympathy. "You didn't have any other family that could do it?"

"Yes, there's a few relatives out there—distant relatives," he said. "My parents, though, trusted Alfred—he's the family butler."

Faith blinked, trying to understand. "Like Geoffrey from _Fresh Prince of Bel-Air_?" she asked.

Bruce smiled. "Alfred _is_ British," he acknowledged.

Faith laughed. "That's cool as hell," she said. "I loved that show! As a kid, I really wished Geoffrey could come to my house—he was so unflappable. When I met B's Watcher, Giles, I realized that British people were actually like that. Giles is the best—nothing phases him."

As Bruce had down extensive research on Faith, he knew who Giles was and understood her reference. Somehow, though, he felt kind of scummy for knowing things about her. "Full disclosure—I did run a background check on you, so I actually know a bit about your associates," he confessed.

For a moment, a look of an angry predator came into Faith's eyes, and Bruce was reminded of exactly who and what she was. Then she smiled, relaxing. "That's good. It's best we put all our cards on the table," she said. "I guess I should tell you that I know you're Batman."

Now it was his turn to feel both shock and anger. "What makes you say that?" he asked coolly.

"It took me a while," she admitted. "It wasn't until I got to my dessert and looked up and realized that I knew that jawline. I wasn't completely sure until just now. Your eyes looked a bit pissed—Batman was a bit pissed, too."

Now she looked smug, and Bruce felt torn. Would it be better to be honest? Could he trust an ex-con with his greatest secret? He thought of his conversation with Kal-El and realized that he didn't have much of a choice. This woman wouldn't believe his denial, and she didn't strike him as the kind of woman he could either intimidate or bribe.

"Why don't we take a walk and talk in a less private place?" he suggested, rising to his feet. He pulled out his wallet to lay a tip on the table.

Faith snickered at the hundred-dollar bill. "I guess you can afford to leave a tip like that," she remarked.

"Yes, I can," he said with a shrug. "Servers rarely get tipped the twenty percent they should, so I always tip well."

"Even if the meal is free?"

"Especially then," he said. "The server had to wait on me, keeping him from other tables or another customer." He held out his arm to Faith, who put her hand on it.

When they stepped outside of the restaurant, Faith said, "Why don't we just go upstairs to my room? I need to change clothes."

As she didn't seem inclined toward seduction, Bruce agreed and walked her to the elevator. Faith left Bruce in the living area and walked into the bedroom. Having a hotel room with an actual living room had been a surprise, but Faith was already comfortable with the posh hotel. She grabbed her black leather pants and a white t-shirt.

Bruce poured himself a glass of ice water from the bar and was sipping it when she returned.

"Okay, so let's talk," she said without preamble.

"Before our dinner, I got a little visit from Superman," Bruce said. "He spoke of you and the concerns about Gotham. I shared my concerns about having a murderer in my city with the kind of powers you have."

"You don't own this city—no one does, and you have no say in what I do," Faith said, her eyes flashing fire.

Bruce ignored her words and kept going. "Superman said that he thought you could be trusted because Buffy, your leader, trusted you, and he knew and trusted her," he said.

"Yes, B is definitely the golden girl—worthy of trust and adoration," Faith said without any bitterness.

Bruce filed that away for later. "I think we should work together," he said.

"Because you're Batman," Faith said with a wink.

Bruce nodded. "Yes," he said simply.

Faith laughed in victory. "Ha! I knew it!" she said. "So why a bat? That's kind of creepy. B and company met Dracula, and you know he could actually turn into a bat?"

"Really?" Bruce asked, not sure if she was teasing.

"That's what they said," she said with a shrug. "I was in prison at the time, so I couldn't say. Giles said it was one of his skills—as was coming back together after Buffy staked him. He kept coming back alive."

"That would be something to see," Bruce said diplomatically. He wasn't sure he could buy into all this, but as he did see a vampire turn to dust, he had no grounds to argue.

"So why a bat?" she asked again.

"Because bats scared me as a kid," he admitted. "I figured dressing up as a man-sized bat would scare the criminal population as well."

"They're like rats with wings, so I get that," Faith said. "So you want to go get your bat on and patrol with me?"

"Sure," Bruce said. "How about you start patrolling, and I catch up to you?" He handed her a small box.

"I'm not really the jewelry kind of gal," she said, frowning. "Besides, this was just a first date."

Bruce smiled. "No, it's just a comm," he said. "An earbud. Put it in your ear, so we can stay in contact. It also has a GPS, so I can track you."

She opened it and saw the tiny device. "Cool," she said. She grabbed it and put it in her ear. Then she went over to the closet and pulled out her carry-on duffel and grabbed a few stakes and a sword.

"I'm not sure you should walk out of the hotel with that," he said.

"No worries. Willow put a spell on it. Once I have it in the scabbard on my back, no one can see it unless they are in the know," she said.

"Okay," he said slowly. He was out of his element with this supernatural stuff, so he felt it was better to say nothing. His staff would report the sword when they saw it.

"Thanks for dinner," Faith said. She moved up closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder and then slowly running it down his chest. "If this was a real date like I thought and not you checking out the new player in town, our night could have had a very different ending—a highly pleasurable one." To make her point clear, she leaned up and pulled his head down, kissing him very thoroughly.

Bruce worked hard to control his reaction as he sensed it was just a game to her, and he had no desire to give her that kind power over him. When she pulled back, he smiled. "That was very nice," he said.

Faith was surprised at his controlled response, but she played it equally as cool. "Yes, it was," she said. Then she stepped back. "I'll see you soon," she said.

He watched her walked out her door, and then he followed her. When he walked to the nearest elevator, he expected to see her there, but she was nowhere in sight.

Grinning, he pulled out his phone to call his driver. He would definitely be seeing her soon.

 _******Smallville*****_

Martha Kent was home for the weekend. Her job as state senator seemed to take up more and more of her time. She was thinking of retiring and spending time at the farm. The job didn't seem to give her as much joy as it first did. Truthfully, she was going to wait until Clark made her a grandma before retiring, but since Lois died, she didn't know if that would ever happen. She was so worried about him now that he lost her and was driven to battle real life monsters. If only he would let Martha help him more. She hated feeling so useless. Although her job allowed her to help strangers from a distance, it was hollow if she couldn't connect to them on a personal level. She'd wanted to be a mother since she got her first doll as a child. Raising and mothering Clark had been the greatest joy and privilege of her life. Not being able to stop him from hurting now made her feel so helpless.

She'd came home hoping she'd feel better, but it wasn't working. Now that Clark had all the farm work leased to a neighboring farm, there just wasn't enough to keep her very busy when she was home alone.

Fighting a rare feeling of loneliness, she was hanging up some sheets on the line when someone landed close to her. Expecting Clark, she blinked in surprise to see a very attractive brunette dressed in white.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi," Cordelia said, smiling. "You're Martha Kent, right?"

"I am," she said. "I think I know who you are. Cordelia Chase?"

Cordelia grinned, her smile so dazzling that Martha was momentarily stunned.

"That's who I was. I'm very different now, so I've got a Kryptonian name, Cora Jor-El," she said. "Technically, I'm now like Clark's half-sister of sorts or a female clone of his. Jor-El fused my regular human body that was basically poisoned by evil with Clark's DNA."

"You are incredibly beautiful, dear, and I am very happy to welcome you to the family—not that your looks have anything to do with my welcome," Martha said with a warm smile.

Cordelia laughed, liking the woman instantly. "Thank you," she said.

"We're family, so come give me a hug," Martha urged. She held out her arms to Cora, who hesitated only a moment before she stepped into them.

It'd been so long since a parent figured hugged Cordelia that she started to cry. There had been so many things happening to her that she'd never stopped to mourn what she lost. Could she ever go back to her old life? Did she even want to? What was her purpose now? Feeling an incredible sense of loss, the tears just kept coming.

Martha wasn't too surprised by the woman's sudden breakdown as she had been through an incredible transformation. "It's going to be okay, dear," she assured. "I promise."

Somehow, Cordelia believed her.

****** _Chapter End*****_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Vampires Are Real

 _*****Gotham*****_

Clark couldn't believe that Wolfram & Hart managed to trap him. He tried everything to get out of the box they'd put him in. His heat vision didn't burn through it, nor could he push his way out. Never had he felt so powerless, and he realized that they must be using magic. His encounter in high school with some witches didn't go so well, but he didn't realize that magic users could actually trap him. He reached inside his pants and took out his cell phone. Luckily, he still had a signal.

"Buffy," he said.

"Clark, is everything okay?" she asked.

"Not exactly. Gotham's branch of Wolfram & Hart managed to trap me in some box," he said.

"But they didn't take away your cell phone?" Buffy asked in amusement.

"Nope," he said, grinning. He waved at the witches who were eying him.

They must've done something, though, because his phone went dead. Shrugging, he put it away. That was fine since he managed to get his call out.

Faith was having lunch with Bruce, something she did nearly every day since she'd been to town. She and Bruce didn't have any more dinner dates because neither was sure they wanted to take things further. Both was feeling out the other. Bruce helped her find a nice house—one of his properties. He insisted on not charging her rent since she was helping keep the city safe. After talking it over with Xander, she agreed.

Xander was sending her a team to help patrol the city, but they hadn't arrived yet. Kennedy was giving him trouble with the selection. Faith wanted to fly to Cleveland and beat the girl's ass, but Xander wouldn't let her. Things between Willow and Kennedy were rocky, and Willow had left Cleveland to get some perspective.

Faith just finished telling Bruce about the demon nest she'd uncovered the night before.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asked, annoyed. She didn't seem inclined to welcome him very far into her world, and it was beginning to frustrate him.

"Because you're just a normal guy," she said with a shrug. "A very fine looking, rich one, but a normal guy, nonetheless. What could you do?"

Her prejudice against him for not having superpowers was starting to piss him off. "I'm not just some guy, Faith. You know that!" he said.

Faith just grinned, flashing her too-sexy dimple at him. "Yea, I know you're not, and I'm not about to let you go getting hurt fighting demons that are way stronger than vampires," she said. "Alfred would get really pissy with me if I let you get hurt."

Bruce gritted his teeth. "I can more than take care of myself—as you well know," he said in a near growl.

"You can against criminals and thugs," she said. "A newbie vamp, sure. But, no, Bruce, you can't handle demons."

"You allow your Watchers into the field, right?" Bruce asked. He'd spent the past several days learning everything he could about her world. What she didn't tell him, he researched or had Alfred tell him.

"True, but bad things happen to them," Faith said. "Giles has been knocked unconscious more times than I can count. Willow was hospitalized once. Xander had an arm broke and an eye gauged out—an _eye_ , Bruce."

"Surely, you know that wouldn't be me," Bruce said. "I know very well that your friend Xander was never trained. You guys let him into the field without any real training while I was trained by experts for years. Not to mention, I wear protective armor."

"Fine," Faith conceded. "I'll let you come next time."

Her placating tone irritated the hell out of him, and her smirk let him know that she was very aware of how irritated he was. Luckily for her, a ring from her phone interrupted them.

"What's up, B?" she asked. When she stood, Bruce waved at the server. "Damn. Okay, we'll head there."

"What's wrong?" Bruce said, telling the server they needed to go.

"Superman's in trouble over there at Wolfram & Hart," she said. "We gotta go."

They raced out of the restaurant, heading to their vehicles. Bruce jumped into his car, heading to his bat cave to change.

Faith, though, jumped on her motorcycle and drove to the law office. When she got there, she saw Superman dressed in black in the front of the building. A shimmer was all around him, and there was about a dozen people all surrounding him.

She parked her bike and got off it. There were people on the street looking at the spectacle. Clearly, they were using magic to contain Superman. Who knew he was vulnerable to the magics? She was, too, so she had to think. What to do? If she attacked, they'd just put the magic mojo on her, too. This one would require more finesse.

She casually walked up to the growing crowd. "Oh my God! They're doing something to hurt Superman!" she yelled. She goes up to the closest one, who she sensed was a magic wielder. "Hey, stop messing with Superman!" Then she slugged the guy in the face.

"Yea, stop hurting Superman!" a guy cried.

"Wolfram & Hart employees are trying to hurt Superman!" Faith yelled, trying to pump up the crowd. More people stopped and joined in, yelling at the lawyers, their security and their witches.

When Batman arrived on the scene, he saw a mob of people surrounding the front of the building. He pushed his way through, taking in the few men and women clearly chanting. Faith had knocked one to the ground and was working to rile up the others. Surprisingly, he was impressed with her ingenuity. The lawyers would have her thrown in jail for assault if she was too direct. She was screaming in the face of the Wolfram & Hart employees, but she wasn't outright attacking.

"It's Batman!" someone shouted. People moved out of his way, so he got up to where Faith was standing.

"Nice of you to join the party," Faith said, smirking.

"Thanks for the invite," he said.

Then Bruce shot the rappel line out of his right hand, wrapping it around the legs of the closest Wolfram & Hart employees. Then he did the same thing with his left hand.

"Is that all of them?" he asked Faith.

"I think that's the mojo peeps, but the lawyers are still standing," she said, glaring at them.

"We have the right to protect ourselves," one of the lawyers said.

"Superman doesn't hurt humans," Faith said.

"Release him," Batman said to the lawyers.

The lawyer spoke into his phone, and the shimmer around Superman dissolved.

"Thanks, Batman," Superman said. He smiled at Faith before turning and heading back to the front entrance.

"Stop!" one of the lawyers shouted.

Without hesitating, Superman went through the building, destroying all the vampires he encountered.

When he came back down, the news crews had made it there. Reporters were shouting questions.

The senior lawyer approached Superman, a reporter and a video camera in his wake.

"You are trespassing, sir. You have no right to be here!" the man ordered. "All our offices have filed suit against you. The restraining order we filed forbids you from coming within one hundred feet of our facilities."

"You think you can hide behind the law?" Superman said grimly. "I don't care what junctions you file. You keep harboring vampires, and I will keep destroying them."

A reporter gasped. "Sir, are you saying that vampires are real?" the reporter asked.

Clark considered his response and then nodded. "Yes, vampires are real. There is an entire realm of supernatural creatures living on this planet," he said. "Wolfram & Hart harbors evil creatures and works to promote the most evil and vile activities while protecting the worst of humanity."

"All creatures deserve the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," the attorney quoted.

Clark ignored the lawyer and looked directly into the camera pointed at him. "Vampires look like humans, but they are demons, who have stolen the bodies of humans. The humans are dead, and they are hijackers. Killing vampires releases the body and sends the demons to the afterlife," he explained, careful not to use the word hell. Vampires were enough for them to handle.

"You can't expect us to believe this?" another reporter asked.

"I don't really care what you believe," Clark said. "I have never lied to you. There are plenty of people in the world who know vampires are real. There are women and some men who train to kill them and protect humanity. They're like a plague on this world, and I didn't know they existed until very recently."

"So your mission has changed?" another asked.

Clark nodded. "Yes. No longer will I focus all my energy chasing after humans who hurt other humans. There are other heroes and law enforcement who can handle them," he said. "Now I will be working with the supernatural crime fighters to help them push back the hold vampires and other demons have on this world."

More questions were thrown at him, but he figured he did enough damage. He jumped up and away.

He could hear a voice on the air. _Clark, it's time to come home. Clark, can you hear me? Your sister is here. Come meet her._

Clark smiled and flew toward Kansas.

Down below, Faith was still reeling. She walked toward her bike with Bruce in step. "I can't believe he just did that," she said.

"Yes, he's kicked over a hornet's nest now," Bruce said grimly.

"They're going to pick a part everything he said," Faith said. "He's put all of us at risk."

"Not necessarily," Bruce said.

"He said women first, Bruce. Women and some men," she quoted. "There's already entire websites devoted to the rumors about us."

"I wouldn't worry about what he does," Bruce advised. "Let's just focus on this city and let Superman fight wherever he wants to. Hopefully, he'll stay the hell away from Gotham."

"He better because I don't need no paparazzi following me around," Faith said as she threw her leg over her motorcycle.

She couldn't see all of his face behind his mask, but she could tell he was smiling.

"No, we wouldn't want that would we," he said. "I'll see you soon." Now it was time for him to begin studying all the media clips he was sure were currently playing and help Faith prepare for the fall out of Superman's announcement.

There would be consequences to what Superman put out in the world, and Bruce would have to do his part to contain the damage. Like Superman, he couldn't go back to pretending the supernatural world didn't exist. It was a threat as real as the alien threat—possibly a greater danger to the planet.

He got in his car. "Alfred, did you see that?" he asked.

"I did, sir," Alfred said. "That was a bold move."

"Bold or foolish?" Bruce wondered.

Time would tell.

****** _New York******_

"Buffy, are you watching the news?" Dawn said, running into the kitchen.

"No, I'm eating a sandwich," Buffy said. "I'm waiting for Faith or Clark to call. He's ran into a bit of trouble in Gotham."

"I know. He's on the news right now," Dawn said. "He just told the world that Wolfram & Hart was harboring vampires."

"What?" Buffy asked, standing up and running to turn on the nearest TV. They were playing the clip of Clark sharing Buffy's truth with the world. "He didn't!"

"He did," Dawn said. "I'm not sure whether to cheer or yell. What does this mean?"

"He might as well have said vampire slayers are real, too!" Buffy said in annoyance. "I'll call Giles."

She called Giles, waking him up. When Giles heard the news, he said, "Bloody hell!"

"My feelings exactly. What do we do, Giles?" she asked worriedly.

"We have to wait and see what happens. If the American government supports what he says or condemns him," Giles said.

"Clark's so hell bent that he could offer up proof if they try to condemn him," Buffy said.

"We'll have to see how this plays out," Giles said. "I wish he'd remained silent, but he has to follow his own path."

"I'm going to contact the Xander. I'll keep you posted," she said.

"What did he say?" Dawn asked.

"He was shocked," Buffy said. "He says we have to wait and see what happens. The government might not back what Superman said."

"I can't believe they'd condemn him," Dawn said.

"I'm not sure about anything anymore," Buffy said. "We know parts of the government are in the know, but we don't know if it goes to the top." She pulled out her phone. "I'm going to call him."

Clark was almost home when his phone rang. He paused in mid-air to pull out his phone. When he saw that it was Buffy, he answered it. "Hello," he said.

"Clark, how could you do that? You had no right to do that!" she yelled.

"I'm no good at deception, Buffy," he said. "I'm not going to lie and hide in the dark."

"But you might as well have said vampire slayers are real, too, why you're at it, Clark. This is my life you're messing with," Buffy fumed. "You could've at least talked to me before you went blabbing to the world!"

"I didn't exactly plan it, but I did mention to you that this would be a possibility," he pointed out.

"Where are you now?" Buffy asked. "We need to talk."

"I'm heading home to Smallville," he said. "I have to meet someone that's there." He considered that Buffy knew his new sister much longer, and she should know what was happening with Cordelia. "Why don't you come to Smallville? We can talk, and you can meet someone."

Buffy was surprised by the invitation but agreed. "Okay. Send me your address, and I'll see what I can do," she said.

Clark said goodbye and dropped down on his family farm. When he opened the kitchen door, his mother was there. However, she wasn't alone. "Clark!" his mom said, moving to embrace him.

Cora El, formerly known as Cordelia Chase, stood up, flashing her toothy smile. "Hi," she said.

Clark hugged his mom and then turned to the woman, who was looking much different than the last time he'd seen her. "You look so much better, Cordelia," he said.

"I feel better," she said.

"Clark, she picked a Kryptonian name," Martha said.

"Cora," she said. "Cora El. Jor El said that technically, we're related."

Clark grinned at her and held open his arms. "Welcome to the family, little sister," he said.

Cora grinned and stepped into his arms.

***** _Chapter End*****_


	12. Chapter 12

**On the show, it was hinted but not confirmed that Lois' dad knew about Clark's identity. I'm going with that he knows. Remember, my story is set after Smallville season 10, but it does follow the comics.**

Chapter 12: Sharing Secrets

 _******Kent Farm******_

Clark watched in bemusement as his mother and Cora chatted together like they had known each other for years.

"I was telling Cora about your dad," Martha said.

"Dad was the best," Clark said.

"I wish I could've met him," Cora said.

"Are you planning on contacting your family?" Clark asked her as he sat down at the table.

"I wouldn't know how," Cora said. "My dad didn't pay his taxes, and when the IRS came for him, he and Mom left me alone in Sunnydale. Then the bank came for all our stuff, and I had to leave and get a job. I'd sold some of my jewelry before they came for everything, so I had enough for a few months rent at a crappy apartment. It was pretty awful."

"That's horrible!" Martha said, upset on her behalf.

"I'm sorry," Clark said with sympathy.

Cora shrugged. "It's okay. My friends in L. A. became my family," she said. "I bet they're pretty lost without me right now."

"I sent our cousin Kara there to help them out. Your friend Angel is playing a dangerous game with that demon law firm Wolfram & Hart," Clark said.

"They've been a thorn in our side since Angel first came to Los Angeles," Cora said. "What have they done now?"

"It's probably best if I let Angel tell you," Clark said. "But remember the man you've known him to be before you rush to judgement."

"What has he done now?" Cora asked in exasperation.

"He is now in charge of the Los Angeles office of Wolfram & Hart," Clark shared.

"What?" Cora asked in disbelief.

"He had a really good reason," Clark said. "One involved saving your life."

"I'm going to kill him," she threatened.

"Remember, honey, that you now can do that with ease," Martha said. "You have to be careful and not let yourself lose your temper."

"Yea, I know," Cora said, taking a deep breath.

"You know Angel is the reason I helped save you," Clark shared. "I was destroying all the vampires working for Wolfram & Hart, and Buffy told me Angel wasn't evil even if she didn't know why he was doing what he was doing. So I went and spoke to him, and he told me what had happened with him."

"What happened?" she asked.

"That's not my story to tell," Clark said. "Plus, I think it's better if you hear it from him."

"What am I supposed to do now?" Cora asked. "I can't go working for Wolfram & Hart! You don't know what they've done to us over the years. I'm not sure how he convinced the boys and Fred to work for them."

"He truly believes he can destroy them from the inside," Clark said.

Cora rolled her eyes. "He's an idiot," she muttered.

"Men often are," Martha said calmly.

Clark gave a half-smile and knew not to argue. He was an idiot a lot of time. "Buffy would agree with that. She was really upset that I revealed that the supernatural exist," Clark said.

"We saw your announcement," Martha said. "Was that a good idea? People are scared."

"Fear of the unknown is worse, I think," Clark said.

"You basically said that girls fight monsters," Cora said. "It's not a big stretch to go to slayer. Buffy's going to have your ass. I've seen the slayer when she's mad—it's not pretty."

"I didn't mention slayers," Clark said defensively.

"You said girls were fighting before you said men," Cora pointed out. "That's not normal. Men always come first."

"She's got a point, Clark," Martha said. "Hasn't the slayer been fighting monsters a long time?"

"A lot longer than you have," Cora said. "I met Buffy when she was fifteen. She's saved my life more times than I could personally count. When the mayor of my hometown ascended into this giant snake demon and tried to eat my graduating class, Buffy led everyone to battle him. She's the only reason so few weren't slaughtered on my graduation. I mean, we've never been particularly close, but I know what's she given up to save the world."

"I know," Clark said. "She's on her way here, so she can yell at me in person."

"Sucks to be you," Cora said with a grin.

She was telling Clark all about her time with Jor-El when she heard a loud cry. "Did you hear that?" she asked Clark, stopping her story.

Clark paused to listen. "There's a house fire in Metropolis," Clark said.

"We have to go help," Cora said.

"I can't focus on every fire and criminal out there," Clark said stubbornly.

"Clark, you know you have to go help," Martha said.

Cora stood. "I will anyway," she said. She pulled a white eye mask that Martha had made for her, and then she blurred away.

"Clark, she's not ready to work alone," Martha told him.

"Yes, I know," Clark said, getting up and going after her.

When they got to the high-rise apartment building, there were flames coming out of three of the upper floors.

"You work on putting out the fire," Clark said. "I will look for people in the building."

Cora ignored the cheers at Clark's presence and the many eyes on her as she used her freeze breath to put out the flames.

Chloe and Oliver were at the watchtower watching the news when the report of the black cloaked Superman was reported.

"Who's the Kryptonian in white?" the news caster asked her male counterpart.

"I do not know," he said.

Chloe spit out her drink and gaped at Oliver. "Is that Kara? She looks a bit taller," Chloe said. "That doesn't look like a wig."

"I knew he wouldn't stay away from the little guy no matter how many world proclamations he makes!" Oliver said, taking out his phone and texting the rest of the league.

"I hate that he has cut him self off from everyone," Chloe said. "I'm his best friend, and I have no idea who that woman is! It's not right, Ollie."

"I know," Oliver said, putting away his phone. "It's going to take time. The slayers are very pissed about his announcement."

"The President hasn't made a statement yet," Chloe said. "He could refute what Clark said."

"It's too easy to prove, and the President has to know that, though," Oliver said.

The camera showed Clark bringing out almost a dozen people.

When Cora put out the fire, she heard a loud barking and moved into the building. "Uggh. This cloak better be soot-retardant," she muttered as she grabbed the puppy cowering under the sofa. "Come on little guy."

She floated down to the throng of people as they cheered.

"Charlie! You found Charlie!" a little boy yelled, running up to her. She could feel the flashes of cameras as she handed the dog to him.

"Superman, do you have a few minutes to tell us about your new friend?" a reporter asked.

"This is my newly found sister, Cora—I guess, you can call her Superwoman," Clark said, smiling at the reporters.

"I thought you were the last Kryptonian," another reporter asked.

Clark hadn't considered how he'd explain Cora's presence and considered Kara. "When I was a baby, Kara, my first cousin, and my sister were sent with me," he said. "Kara was actually twelve at the time. But their ships got knocked into an asteroid. The best I can explain is there was a period of suspended animation because both are now younger, so instead of an older sister, I have a younger one. I only recently found Cora, though, as she had no memory of her Kryptonian origins."

"Can you give us a few words, Superwoman?" the reporter asked Cora.

"While my cousin is fighting his new battle with the demons that plague this world, I will be around to help out wherever I'm needed," Cora said, deciding on the spot.

"So you know about the vampires?" another reporter asked.

"Well, yes, I spent many years in Sunnydale, which was on a hellmouth," Cora said. "I knew about them before I knew about my brother being alive."

"The city that is a big crater?" another asked.

Cora nodded. "That occurred as the city's guardians closed the hellmouth, preventing the end of the world," she said. Oh, yes, Buffy was going to be pissed. She grinned at the thought.

Chloe and Oliver weren't the only ones watching the news report. General Lane considered all the new information as his phone rang.

"Hello," he said.

"Are you watching the news? Superman has a sister."

"Mr. President?" he asked, not sure.

"Yes, Sam, it's me," he replied. "What is our stance on the supernatural?"

"Well, we know it's real. My daughter was killed closing that hellmouth," General Lane said. "If you come out against Superman, you will put yourself in a precarious position. He can prove it. What if he captures and kills a vampire in front of a live TV audience?"

"Your daughter's death is what pushed Superman to this course of action," the President reminded him.

"I know this, sir. He's a good man—one we can trust," General Lane said. Clark had no real idea how much Sam knew about him, but his daughter was never that good at lying to him. He'd known for years that Clark Kent was Kal-El, known to the world as Superman. That meant that each President knew also. However, the secret was only shared with them. General Lane wasn't going to risk his daughter's happiness by allowing too many people to be in the know.

"But these slayers and this new sister and now a cousin are unknowns. I don't like not knowing the players," the President said. "Buffy Summers is a loose cannon, but she has proven that she will die for this planet. I know where her loyalties lie. Now, though, there's hundreds of slayers just like her. That's a potential problem. If she's not working for us, she's a potential enemy. You need to get Superman to broker a deal of some kind between her and her slayers. We need to know that they put America's interest first."

"Summers got my daughter killed, sir," General Lane reminded him.

"There are always casualties in a war, Sam. You know this," the President said.

"She wasn't a solider, sir. She shouldn't have been there," he said.

"You want your pound of flesh? Well, you can't have Summers," he said. "She's too important. The Prime Minister of Great Britain would give us hell. Not to mention, we have an American in charge of a group with such power. If she's taken out, we'd have to deal with her number two, and Faith Lehane is a criminal."

"So you are authorizing me to capture other slayers?" he asked.

"Do not harm any of the slayers, Sam," the President said. "However, you are authorized to vet them. We need the names of all of them. We need to know where their loyalties lie. The same goes with Superman's family."

"I will speak with Superman and Miss Summers," General Lane said.

"Keep me posted," the President said.

He put down his phone, considering his next move. He buzzed his assistant. "Schedule a trip to Smallville in the morning," he said.

"Yes, General," his assistant replied.

It was time to speak to his almost-son-law.

***** _Smallville******_

When Buffy arrived at the address that Clark gave him, she was surprised. There were miles and miles of corn. Then when she approached the house, there was an actual red barn. The house, though, was exactly as she pictured his childhood home.

Clark went to the front porch when he heard a car approach. The sun hadn't yet set for the day, so he watched Buffy get out of the car rental.

"Nice place," Buffy said, looking around.

Clark walked down the steps to greet her. "Thanks," he said. "Thank you for coming."

"Well, I caught a flight into Metropolis and rented this car," she said. "I heard about the fire rescue on the news. You're just full of surprises. A sister? What the hell is going on, Clark? You don't have a sister."

"He does now," Cora said as she came out onto the porch, grinning down at Buffy.

Buffy looked up at a very familiar face in surprise. "Cordelia?"

****** _To Be Continued******_

 _I didn't get many suggestions for Cordelia's supername, so I went with an obvious (if not creative) choice. Reviews are very welcome. Thanks for still reading._


	13. Chapter 13

**As I am basing this story off Smallville, the Lex Luthor is a clone of the original with a potential to be good, not a supervillain. He doesn't have the history with Clark and only some imprinted memories. The final season was a bit vague, I thought, about Lex's status. Ideas about how to write him now is very welcome. Also, I've not brought it up yet in the story, but Chloe and Oliver have been married for at least 8 years as they got married on the show and Clark came out as Superman at least seven years later. Therefore, it's only natural that they'd have a child or two.**

Chapter 13: Showing Your Cards

 _*****Where We Left Off, Smallville*****_

Buffy thought her eyes might be betraying her as the woman standing on the porch looked exactly like Cordelia but more. "Is that really you, Cordy?" she asked.

"What? This blinding smile didn't clue you in?" Cora said with a wide smile. She stepped off the porch. "But I go by Cora now."

"You're okay!" Buffy said, moving to give her a hug. When Cordy didn't complain about the hug, Buffy looked at her closely. "You've changed."

"Yep. I'm a Kryptonian now," Cordy said. "Clark's A.I. daddy fixed me after I was screwed up by my second demon pregnancy."

"You and Xander are such demon magnets," Buffy said with a smirk. "I'm still convinced you might've been soul mates."

Cordy who was now Cora laughed. "We do have some sucky luck," she said.

"Clark, are you going to ask your guest to come in or leave her on the porch?" Martha said.

Clark was shadowing Cora, waiting a bit anxiously for Buffy to start yelling at him.

"It depends," Clark said, smiling warily at Buffy. "Do you plan on slapping me?"

"I considered it," Buffy said with a glare. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Come inside to yell at him," Marth urged. "I'm Martha Kent."

"It's great to meet you," Buffy said, shaking her hand. She gave the woman a friendly smile as she followed them into the house. "I'm Buffy."

"Yes, I've heard a lot about you," Martha said. "You know, dear, Clark has always been impetuous—ever since he was a boy. Can I get you a cold drink or coffee?"

"Water if you have it," Buffy said, struck by the woman's warmth. Suddenly, she felt too shy to yell at Clark like she wanted.

"Please, have a seat," Clark said, gesturing to the living room.

Buffy sat on the sofa, and Cordy at next to her. "I'm so glad that you're better. Angel will be very happy," Buffy said.

"Yes, I'm going to go see him soon," Cordy said. "Maybe you can explain what he is doing working for the law firm of evil? Clark won't tell me."

"It's not my story to tell," Clark said.

Buffy's glare returned—Martha's hospitality no longer a deterrent as she considered what Clark and Cordy had done to her and her family. "That's rich coming from you. You didn't have any trouble telling my story on the news," she said. Then she turned her glare to Cordy. "How could you reveal the truth of Sunnydale, Cordy?"

"It's Cora now," Cora corrected. "I'm no longer human. I have Clark's DNA now, so It's Cora Jor-El."

"I don't care what you call yourself," Buffy said, her anger growing the more she thought about it. "Clark said more than I liked, but _you_ basically threw us under the bus. My name was in the paper too many times for crimes or witnesses to crimes. I got the class protector award. Everyone we graduated with knows who and what I am. Someone will be happy to blab."

"Time for secrets are over," Clark said.

"You don't get to decide that, Clark! So you're okay with me telling the world who your mother is?" Buffy said pointedly. "Clark Kent is Kal El will be a nice headline."

Now it was Clark's turn to glare. "You can't do that," he said. "You would endanger my mother."

"Sure, I can," Buffy said. "You don't see any harm in crapping all over my life. I have a completely human sister—in case you forgot. And unlike you, I'm not bullet proof."

"How is Dawn?" Cora asked.

"She's doing great," Buffy said. "She's super happy to hear you're on the mend, and she hopes you come see her as soon as you can."

"I bet she's a beauty now," Cora said.

Buffy nodded. "She really is," Buffy said.

"Buffy, I don't blame you for being upset," Marth said with sympathy. "They have not been very discreet. Clark has always chaffed under the restrictions his father and I put upon him when it came to his powers. Now that he's an adult, he wants to be as transparent as possible."

"I'm sorry, Martha. I don't mean to bring you into this, but this is my life he and Cora are screwing with," Buffy said, not willing to let it go so easily. She'd heard Cordy's performance and announcement on the radio as she drove up. "I've been doing this gig since I was fifteen, Clark. I've saved the world several times, and I know the woman you loved died in one of my battles. But I was seventeen the first time I had to kill the man I loved to save the world. Another time, I jumped to my death saving the world and my sister's life—then I was dragged out of heaven by my friends. So I know about loss, Clark. But it doesn't give me the right to crap all over other people's lives anymore than your loss gives you the right. You have got to start thinking before you act. You want to do this lone ranger thing, then you and I may not be friends or allies—I'll consider you a threat to me and mine. You don't want me as an enemy, especially when I know you're not invulnerable to magic."

"Are you threatening us?" Cora asked in surprise.

"No, Cordy, I'm being very blunt. Clark's been going around the world kicking over one hornet nest after another, and you and he have now screwed with my life," Buffy said, glaring. "It's not cool."

"No, it's not," another voice said. They turned and saw Willow suddenly in the room.

"How did she get here?" Clark asked.

"Magic," Cora said, eying the witch warily. "Hello, Willow."

"Sorry, Ma'am," Willow said to Martha. "I'm Willow, and I'm so shocked that Cordelia would blab about the hellmouth. I had to come here as soon as I saw the news."

"Good to see you, Willow," Cora said. She stood slowly, not sure if a fight was about to happen.

"What the hell, Cordelia?" Willow said, her eyes flaring black for just a moment. "Lex Luthor just offered up a million dollars to the identity of the heroes who closed the hellmouth."

"What?" Clark asked, stunned.

"Do you get it now, Clark?" Buffy asked.

"I'm sorry," Clark said.

"We have to be on the same team, Clark," Buffy said. "We work together, or everything will fall apart for all of us."

"Now we have to do damage control," Willow said. She looked curiously at Cordelia. "How did you get superpowers?"

"Clark saved my life by fusing his DNA to mine," Cordelia said. "Or rather having his A.I. do it."

"Cool," Willow said. "Why did you blab about Sunnydale?"

"I got caught up in the moment," Cora said. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking!"

"That was dangerous, Cordy. Things are going to be changed now," Willow said. "You've endangered all our slayers. Some are only thirteen years old."

Cora winced, feeling guilty. She would have to do something to protect the slayers, especially if she was the one who put them at risk.

The doorbell rang, and Marth went to answer it. "Hello, Chloe, Oliver," she said.

Chloe hugged her. "It's been too long," Chloe said.

"I'm still waiting for you to bring your son Connor over to see me," Martha said.

"You just saw him a month ago," Chloe said, smiling.

"That's not nearly enough time," Martha said. "I don't have any grandchildren of my own to spoil, and both your mothers are gone."

"Don't worry, Martha," Oliver said, hugging her. "We want you to see him as much as possible. It's just been crazy. I'll have his nanny arrange some time with you here. Now that he's three, Chloe feels a bit better about him traveling."

"The kid is accident prone. Sadly, he takes after me and not Ollie," Chloe said with a grin.

"I guess you're here 'cause you saw the news," Clark said, giving them a sheepish look.

"Yes," Oliver said. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm here 'cause I wanted to meet your new friend," Chloe said, looking at Cordelia. "How do you have a sister? How do I not know? I thought we were your best friends?"

"Sorry, Chloe," Clark said. Maybe he should get the word tattooed to his forehead. "I was asked by Angel to see if I could help his friend Cordelia. She went to school with Buffy. I left her with Jor-El, and he saved her life by fusing her DNA with mine."

"Seriously?" Chloe asked, stunned. "That's possible?"

Clark shrugged. "I guess so," he said. "She'd been corrupted by evil, and there was no other way to save her. Now she's basically related to me with all the powers I have."

Cordelia winced as a vision hit her. "Not exactly true, brother. I have a gift you don't," she said. She looked at Buffy. "I just had a vision of this vampire on steroids attacking a group of people in Metropolis."

"Seriously?" Buffy asked. "Faith and I have been having slayer dreams about those vamps, but we've not seen a hide or hair about them."

Clark focused, listening for screams in the distance. "I think I've located them," he said.

"It's daytime. How can the vampires be out in the daytime?" Willow asked.

"I don't know," Buffy said grimly. "But let's go take care of it."

"Clark, you stay and visit with your friends," Cora said. "I'll take Willow and Buffy to the new day vamps."

"Is there more than one?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know," Cora said with a shrug. "I only saw one in my vision."

"How do you get visions?" Chloe asked.

"She'll explain later," Buffy said. "Let's go."

They walked outside, and Buffy looked at Cora. "So how do we do this?" she asked.

"Why don't you take Buffy, and I'll follow her essence to wherever you go," Willow suggested.

"You can do that?" Cora asked, surprised.

Willow nodded. "Since I did the spell activating all the slayers, I can sense all of them," she explained.

Buffy yelped in surprise when Cora swept her up in her arms bridal style. "What? Are you carrying me over the threshold now?" Buffy asked as she put her arm around the new Kryptonian's neck.

"You wish you could be so lucky," Cora said with a smirk. She flew Buffy to where she felt her vision was leading her. It was strange. Before, she'd often get images to help her locate the scene, but this time, her recall was with perfect clarity. When she took Buffy to the alley in her vision, she put Buffy down.

Buffy pulled out her stake and looked around. There wasn't a vampire. "Where's the vamp?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that my vision was a bit more prophetic than normal," Cora said, looking thoughtful. "I could see this alley much clearer than any vision I had before."

"Well, Clark told me that he has perfect recall—it's a Kryptonian thing," Buffy said. "It would make sense that your visions would be better since everything else about you is."

"Good point," Cora said. She saw the homeless man from her vision walk down the alley toward them. "That's the victim."

Buffy looked and still didn't see a vampire. Then a door opened from a building 100 feet from them, and a vampire jumped out. The vampire was even bigger than the ones she fought when Sunnydale fell. "Man, is that vamp ugly!"

"Do you want to take a crack or me?" Cora asked.

"I've killed enough vampires," Buffy said. "Why don't you take this one? Use your heat vision if he's too tough for you."

"As if," Cora said with a disdainful sniff. She moved quickly to intercept the vampire before it reached the man, who still didn't seem to notice as his head was down.

"Hey, guy, you need to run the other way!" Buffy called out, getting the man's attention. He finally looked up and saw the monster in his path. Without hesitating, he turned and went back the way he came.

Cora made to hit the vampire, but when she got close enough to touch it, its eyes flashed green. A wave of nausea hit her, and she stumbled back.

"What's the deal?" Buffy asked, approaching.

"I feel sick all of a sudden," Cora said.

"Fine. I'll do it," Buffy said. She moved to get in front of Cora, kicking the towering vampire in the stomach. Unfortunately, her kick failed to move the vampire at all. Instead, the vampire swung at her, and she ducked. Before she could get in another hit, the vampire kicked her in the stomach, knocking her several feet into a nearby dumpster. "Ow!"

"Suck it up," Cora said, going in for a hit. However, when she got too close to the vampire, she felt weak and sick again.

"What's wrong with you?" Buffy asked. "Get him!"

"I can't. I get too sick," Cora said. "It's like he's got some repellant that I sense only when I get near him."

"Well, suck it up, Princess," Buffy said, charging the vampire. This time her hit moved him but not much. "He's made of metal!"

"Move back, and I'll try my heat vision," Cora said. Willow teleported in, arriving at the end of the alleyway.

Buffy saw her and said, "He's the superest of the super vamps we've fought, and he is making Cordy sick."

"Do you want me to try?" Willow said.

"Let me see if my heat ray can get it done," Cora said.

Buffy moved away as Cora aimed for his head, trying to slice it off with the rays. The vampire roared and charged forward. Luckily, Willow froze him in place with her magic. Finally, though, Cora's heat vision manage to sever the neck. The vampire didn't exactly turn to dust.

"What the hell was that?" Buffy asked. "You couldn't get close to it. I couldn't make much of a dent, and even your heat vision had trouble."

"It's not a pile of dust either," Willow said, moving to examine it. The flesh turned to dust, but the bones were there. They glowed green.

"Yes, I think we're frakked if there's going to be a whole lot more of these," Cora said, backing away. "Even its remains make me sick."

"Well, I better take a sample, so we can get to the bottom of that," Willow said.

"You do that, and I'll look around to see if there's anymore," Buffy said.

"I'll go with you," Cora said, walking with Buffy away from the bones. By the time she made it to the end of the alleyway, she felt perfectly fine.

"Let's hope there's not another one in town," Buffy muttered. "Giles so gonna freak."

"How is Giles?" Cora asked.

"He's good. He's now in charge of the Council, so it's all good for the most part," Buffy said. "Oliver Queen loaned Giles his attorneys, so Giles could get his hands on the Council's fund. When I saw how much they had, and I got not a dime of a paycheck, I was pissed."

"Did Giles give you back pay?" Cora asked.

"And then some," Buffy said with a grin. "You and Oz will be getting a check for your help in high school soon, too."

"Cool. I don't want any of the things I got when I might've been possessed by that demon," Cora said with a grimace.

They went down three different nearby alleyways and saw no sign of activity. "No signs," Buffy said. "I don't know if I'm relieved or freaked out."

"I'm both," Cora said. "Let's head back home and tell Clark what happened."

She picked up Buffy and flew back to Smallville. Neither noticed the eyes that were on them.

Ethan Rayne grinned as he watched the slayer fly away. "Should we be worried about the flying woman?" he asked his partner in crime.

Amy's eyes flashed black. "I wouldn't worry. I've been following the Kryptonians for a while now and read everything I could about them. Smallville is the epic center of all the weird stuff without a hellmouth. Instead, it's this green rock," she said as she held up a piece of Kryptonite. "The comet or whatever that crashed was probably a spaceship or debris for Superman's home planet. He said once to a reporter that his people lived under a red sun and didn't have special abilities. This rock not only empowered our vampires, but it made them nearly invulnerable."

"Your theory was correct," Ethan said with a grin. "We've created vampires that are stronger than any—they can come out in daylight as long as not in direct sunlight. Most importantly, Superman and his sister can't easily defeat them."

"This will work," Amy said. "We release a few of our pets all over and let their numbers grow."

"The chaos and fear will be incredible," Ethan said, giddy. "With the world knowing about the supernatural, they will be looking for someone to blame."

"Very true," Amy said. "But what I can't figure out is how Cordelia Chase became a Kryptonian?"

"You know Superman's sister?" Ethan asked in surprise.

"No eye mask can hide that smile," Amy said. "I will enjoy seeing her suffer. Not even dating Xander Harris gave her the humility she deserved." She looked down at her green rock with a smile of satisfaction. Soon, Willow will realize how stupid she was to toss her aside. Buffy will be punished for not even caring that she was left as a rat for years and then left to be victimized by Rack. Only Ethan had cared enough to help her.

Now she would help him sow chaos while punishing those self-righteous do-gooders.

She would finally destroy the Scoobies and anyone they cared about.

***** _Chapter End*****_

 _If you're still reading, I'd love a review. Thanks so much!_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Family Ties

***** _Gotham******_

Faith was eating a slice of pizza watching the news when she saw the report featuring some super freaks. She almost chocked on her pizza. "That's Cordelia Chase!" she exclaimed.

When she heard Cordelia blab about the hellmouth, though, she looked for her phone. "I'm going to beat that bitch's ass." She dialed Xander.

"Did you just see your ex on TV? How the hell is she Superman's sister? What she doing blabbing about the hellmouth?" she asked, not letting him get a word in.

"Calm down, Faith. Buffy and Willow both are on it," Xander said. "Cordy was dying, and Angel got Clark to fix her. I guess that was his way of doing so."

"So now Queen C is stronger than me? That really pisses me off!" Faith fumed.

Xander laughed. "I bet it does," he said. Someone spoke to him. "Hold on, Faith. Andrew is telling me something."

Faith waited and heard Xander groan. "This is bad—so bad," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"Lex Luthor just offered a million dollars to anyone who can tell him the identities of Sunnydale heroes," he said.

"No f***ing way!" Faith fumed. "I'd turn us in for that amount!"

"Yes, this is not good. So you try to keep a low profile there in Gotham," Xander advised.

"I'll do my best," Faith said. "If you see Cordy, slap her hard for me, okay?"

"You know I don't slap women—they slap me," Xander said.

"Well, tell Kennedy I said to lay that bitch out," Faith said.

"A slayer isn't really a match for a Kryptonian," Xander said. "Kennedy could break her hand on Cordy's face."

"Sounds like a win-win to me," Faith said with a grin. Kennedy was always pissing everyone off with her superior attitude. Willow so needed to get over her already, so no one had to pretend to like her.

Xander snorted. "Okay, well, I gotta go. I'll be in touch," he said, hanging up.

Faith's doorbell rang, so she got up to answer it. She was surprised to see Bruce at her door. So far, they'd kept things professional between them. Besides showing her this place a few weeks earlier, he'd not stop by, and she'd not invited him over. "Hey," she said, opening the door to let him in. "What's up?"

Bruce took her turned back as a sign that he was welcomed to step inside, so he shut the door.

"I just saw the news," he said.

Faith turned toward him, glaring. "Yea, I'm going to kill both Superman and his new sister, who I happen to know was not born a Kryptonian."

"Really?" Bruce asked with interest. "How so?"

"I'd recognize that smile anywhere," Faith said. "Xander Harris, Buffy's best guy friend, dated her in high school. She's Angel's right hand—or was for a while. Then she got possessed by some demon."

"Do you think she still is?" Bruce asked.

Faith shook her head. "No. Superman is a white hat—entirely. He wouldn't be working for no demon," Faith said.

For some reason, Bruce trusted her opinion of Kal-El more than the man assuring Bruce he was to be trusted. In the weeks he'd spent with Faith, he had come to realize that she not only didn't trust easily, but she was a straight shooter with a very strong bull-shit detector. "Maybe Xander can explain it."

"Oh, I already talked to him right before you arrived. He said that Angel asked Superman to fix her, and he did—she's not dying anymore," Faith said with a shrug. "He also told me that Lex Luthor is offering up a million dollars for the identity of slayers. Too many people in Sunnydale know who Buffy and her friends are. Hell, the senior class of her school gave her the Class Protector award and openly spoke about how her graduating class had the lowest mortality rate in years thanks to her. She and Xander armed their classmates at graduation to take out the mayor after he ascended into a giant snake."

"So there is bound to be someone who'd love to make a cool million," Bruce said. "You guys are going to have to get a head of it somehow."

She grimaced. "That's above my pay grade. I might be tempted to get some easy money from Luther, but a pissed Buffy is bad enough. It's Willow you don't want to make angry. She's got enough power to destroy—" she stopped, looking warily. "Destroy a lot." Bruce hated that anyone had powers he couldn't necessarily control or combat. That's one thing she'd learned since becoming friends with him—if that's what they were. Some days she wasn't sure what to call it.

Bruce frowned, not liking that she was keeping secrets. "When are you going to trust me?" he asked.

"I trust exactly three and a half people—Angel, Giles, Xander, and sometimes Buffy," she said. "I bet that's still more than you trust."

Bruce smirked—she wasn't wrong. "We're quite a pair, aren't we?"

Faith nodded. "A match made in hell," she said with a wink.

"Have you had lunch?" Bruce asked. He found himself unable to go more than two days without seeing her as she was quickly becoming an obsession.

"Cold pizza," she said pointing.

Bruce frowned. "That's not a good meal. How about I take you to lunch?" he asked.

Faith shrugged. "It's your money," she said, reaching for her jackets and smokes.

"So I will give you a hundred thousand dollars to stop smoking," he said.

"You know I have about that much in the account Xander set up for me," she said proudly. "We get $10,000 for each apocalypse we help stop, plus paid a thousand-dollar bonus for each particularly dangerous baddie we take out. They counted the time I helped Angel."

"That can't total that much," Bruce said. After spending quite a bit of time with her the past few weeks, he knew exactly how many apocalypses she'd helped with, and she just wasn't in the same league as the Golden Trio as she called Buffy, Xander, and Willow.

"No, but Dawnie has a knack for the stock market. Big Sis didn't believe her, but I gave her my $25,000 and she quadrupled it within six months," Faith said with a happy grin. After she'd bought her beloved bike, she didn't care if Dawn gambled with her money since she was getting a steady paycheck anyway.

Bruce's eyes widened. "Seriously? Buffy's sixteen-year-old sister is that gifted?" he asked. "Why don't you introduce me. I'll tell her all about the program Wayne Enterprises has that pays for college if they work for us for five years."

Faith laughed. "Do you know how many languages the girl already speaks? Giles would kill you if you tried to poach her," Faith said. "Giles may love Buffy more, but he's the closest thing I got to a mentor, teacher, and father. I ain't going outta my way to piss him off."

Bruce sighed. "Fine," he said in resignation. He really needed to meet this man, who seemed to be Ghandi and James Bond rolled into one.

He surprised Faith by driving to her house instead of a restaurant. "You going to cook?" Faith asked with a wide smile.

"Of course not," Bruce said. "Alfred has lunch ready. I was thinking we can start on that training you were talking about."

Faith's eyes lit up. "Are you finally going to let me train you?" she asked.

"If you let me train you, too," he said. He knew way more forms of fighting than she did, but it was clear that she was better at fighting the supernatural. Although he hated to admit it, she did have much she could teach him. However, he still had much to offer her.

"I love getting a hot piece of ass on his back," she said, looking smug.

Bruce fought to keep his body from reacting to her blatant come-on. Sometimes, her boldness reminded him of Selina, the last woman he'd loved. Selina, though, didn't have Faith's vulnerability nor her strength. And he wasn't just referring to the physical strength Faith possessed.

"How about we make a little wager?" he suggested. "I manage to knock you on your sweet little ass, you give up the cigarettes for the patch. If you knock me on my first, you can drive any car of mine that I own."

Faith's eyes widened. She'd been lusting after two of his bikes and like five of his cars ever since he'd shown her his garage the one time he'd brought her to his house to meet Alfred. "You got yourself a deal," she said, holding out her hand for him to shake. She ignored the tingles his touch produced—she was so going to enjoy putting him on his ass.

***** _Los Angeles******_

Kara really loved her new job working for Angel. At first, she'd helped Harmony, but once Fred found out about how intelligent she actually was, she was working down in the lab with Fred. Gunn and Spike both had taken her under their wings, showing her a good time whenever they could. Gunn took her to nice restaurants while Spike showed her how to kill monsters. Kara was logging it in her daily emails to Kal-El, and he was starting a database with Jor-El. She didn't quite understand Angel, but she enjoyed watching him bicker with Spike. Their relationship was strange even by human standards.

Wesley told her that they had a very long, violent history. Surprisingly, Wesley was even smarter than Clark's friend Chloe. The most interesting thing about him was that he was sweet on Fred, who seemed oblivious. Kara liked Wesley more for his secret pining, and he let her help out with translations—she was learning so much. Fred was super smart with the sciences, reminding Kara of Clark's dad, Jor-El, who was a scientist. Wesley, though, seemed to know everything there was to know about the supernatural word and the many demonic languages.

Every department seemed to want her to work with them once her perfect recall became known. Even several of the law departments asked for her help on research. It was nice to be so popular. No one but Angel and his closest friends knew about her connection to Superman. Angel had told everyone she was part demon—one of the strong ones that could pass for humans. Strangely enough, no one questioned it. No one except Eve, this creepy woman who was always watching them. Angel said she was a conduit for Wolfram & Hart, so she was clearly evil. Eve seemed to know more than she should about Kara, and she was very cautious when in the same room with Kara. It made Kara suspect her even more for ill intentions.

They were having dinner in Angel's office—something they did a few times a month. Fred called it their family dinner, and she couldn't believe they wanted her there. But they did, so she was happy to feel a part of their little family even if none of them were connected by blood. Spike told her that ties forged in battle or in hell were often stronger than blood ties. Of course, he wasn't one of two people that survived a planet annihilation, but she got what he meant. Kara was touched that they had so easily included her into their group.

This evening it was Lorne, Fred, Wes, Gunn, and Spike all eating Chinese while Angel had the news on in the background. Suddenly, he stood up, unmuting the television.

Everyone looked up as the report of Superman's sister was being shown. Kara looked flabbergasted. "What? I don't have another cousin," she said.

"Looks like Superman is keeping secrets," Gunn said.

"Want us to go beat his ass for you?" Spike asked, hopefully.

Kara frowned and looked at Angel, who was paler than normal. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"That's Cordelia," he said flatly.

Fred gasped. "You're right. It is!" she exclaimed. "Oh, that's so amazin'! She's all better, and Superman made her like him!"

"I knew Queen C wouldn't let that bitch Jasmine keep her down for long," Gunn said, proudly.

Angel looked at Kara. "Can you take me to Metropolis?" he asked.

"Well, yea, but they're probably in Smallville now with my Aunt Martha," she said.

"Can I come?" Lorne asked. Losing Cordelia like that was hard on all of them, but it was particularly hard on Lorne, who loved his queen—she was still considered the queen of Pylea in his own dimension.

"That would be a bit awkward," Kara said. "How about I take Angel and then come back and get you?"

"Or just make Cordy come here. We all want to see her," Gunn said.

Kara nodded. "Okay," she said. "We'll have to wait until the sun completely sets here, though. Luckily, the time in California is earlier than Kansas. Once it's dark here, it'll be dark there."

"It's about an hour or so until sunset," Angel said, his mind racing. Cordelia was alive and better than ever. He had a lot to thank Superman for.

Kara had to see for herself who this new Kryptonian was.

***** _Kent Farm*****_

Clark was explaining the properties of the meteor rock to Willo. His mother had insisted on cooking dinner for everyone, and they'd finished dessert. However, they were lingering, trying to solve this new mystery.

"Why do you guys call it meteor rock if you know it's part of your own planet?" Willow asked. "Wouldn't Kryptonian rock make more sense? It's not just some random meteor rock."

"Yea, it's meteorite rock from Krypton, so you should call it Kryptonite," Buffy said. Then she realized something. "Oh, so the day vamps are somehow infused with this stuff? That's why Cordy—"

"Cora—It's Cora now," Cora said.

"Whatever, Cora," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "It makes you guys sick? Why is that?"

"We think it's because back on his home planet, he didn't have the same powers," Chloe explained. "At least the Kryptonians didn't. We figure when it hits the atmosphere of our sun, the properties change like Clark and Kara were changed. Now his planet would be poisonous to him."

"If this is the kind of vampires Buffy and her slayers are having visions of, then we have got to be ready," Clark said. "Cora and I can't fight up close."

"Luckily, your fire vision can kill from a distance," Buffy said happily.

"Heat vision," Chloe corrected.

"It doesn't heat things up; it enflames them," Buffy argued. "Besides fire vision sounds cooler."

Clark grinned but didn't try to get in between the two women.

"We have so many fires to put out," Willow said. "We have got to have a plan to address what Cordy, and Clark put out there." When Cora started to correct her, Willow gave her a cold look. "You bullied me from the time I was five, Cordelia. I'll call you whatever the hell I want."

Cora blinked, not used to seeing this side of Willow. "I've not been that person for a long time, Willow. You should know that," she said.

"Well, I've not been that meek little mouse you picked on for a long time either," Willow said. "I don't care what name you call yourself. All I care about is protecting my girls. Do you realize what you've done? I feel every single slayer out there. I made them into what Buffy and Faith are. I put their lives in danger. They're a target because of me, and now you've made it even harder for them."

"You didn't do that alone, Will. It was my idea," Buffy reminded her.

"You know I'm sorry," Cora said. "I was caught up in the moment—I didn't think."

"We know, Cora," Martha said, squeezing her hand. "It's going to be okay."

"We hope," Buffy said flatly.

"Giles is calling all slayers in the field back to the nearest slayer house. We need to decide how we're going to proceed," Willow explained.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Clark looked to see who was out there and felt blindsided. It was Lois's dad. He hadn't seen the General since Lois' funeral several months ago. Guilt filled him as he stared out at the man.

"General Lane is here," he announced, his hand on the doorknob.

Oliver Queen looked at Chloe. "We should leave. We don't want him to start thinking about how close we are to Clark," he said.

"Everyone knows I'm Clark's best friend," Chloe said.

"Still, we don't need eyes on us," Oliver said. "The League doesn't need any attention."

"It's not like we can sneak out the backdoor," Chloe said. "There's only one driveway to this farm. The General's security team will spot us."

Oliver didn't like it, but he nodded at Clark, who was opening the door to greet his almost father-in-law.

"Sir. It's good to see you," Clark said. "Please come in."

Buffy winced. "Clark, what did I say about verbal invitations?" she hissed.

"It's still daylight," Clark pointed out.

General Lane was surprised but pleased to see both Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg there. He would get quite a bit accomplished with this meeting. "Don't worry, Miss Summers. I'm not a vampire," he said. Although he'd been really angry with Buffy for allowing his daughter to be killed, he had eventually calmed down and looked at the situation rationally. She was fighting a war, and his daughter had bravely but foolishly decided to join them. Lois wasn't a solider, but he'd trained her to believe she could be. If anyone was to blame for Lois' death, it was he. Lois was fearless, and he'd loved and cultivated that quality in her. Sam couldn't be more proud of her, but he wished she'd been less his daughter and more like her cousin Chloe.

Clark looked surprised. "So you know about vampires?" he asked.

"Well, you did tell the world all about them, right?" General Lane said pointedly.

Clark frowned, glancing at his mother, who had a feeling that Clark wasn't going to like what the General said next.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Clark asked.

"It means that I know who you are, Clark. I've known for a while," General Lane told him. "You're Superman."

Clark was stunned and couldn't think of what else to say.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

 _I hope you enjoyed this update. Thanks!_


	15. Chapter 15

**So I am writing this story as if Chloe is General Lane's niece because I can't remember exactly which side of the family Chloe and Lois were related on. If I'm wrong, forgive me and let it go!**

Chapter 15: Laying It on the Line

 _*****Where We Left Off*****_

Clark was left reeling as his almost father-in-law revealed that he knew Clark's greatest secret.

"How? When?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" General Lane said. "My daughter isn't as—wasn't as clever as she thought he was." She'd been gone months, but he still had trouble speaking of his larger than life daughter in the past tense.

"She was very clever," Clark said. Thinking of her wasn't quite as painful as it once was, but he missed her every day.

General Lane smiled. "Yes, I know, Clark, but I was her father—I knew her better than anyone," he said.

Clark bristled at that implication, but he didn't argue. His mother probably knew him in ways that Lois never had.

"I don't, however, know this new Kryptonian," General Lane said, looking at Cora.

"This is Cora, my half-sister," he introduced.

"Another Kryptonian is welcome. These are dark times," General Lane said.

"I have a cousin, who will probably show up soon since Cora was on the news," Clark said. "I haven't had a chance to explain Cora yet."

"So, Miss Summers, we have a situation," General Lane said. "Clark has told the world of the existence of vampires, and he and his cousin clearly hinted of your existence. Now Lex Luthor is offering up large sums of money. It's only a matter of time before someone sells you out."

"Lots of people in Sunnydale knew Buffy was special," Willow said.

"She armed our senior class to defeat the mayor," Cora said.

"You went to school in the United States?" General Lane asked.

Cora nodded. "I was raised on the hellmouth," she said.

"That's good," he said. Another American superhero to keep people safe. He looked back at Buffy. "I, as a representative of the United States government, recommend that you reveal yourself to the public and give a sanitized version of your world. Protect the other slayers you work with—deflect."

"Like make out they're highly trained soldiers?" Willow asked.

The general nodded. "Yes. In today's world, female empowerment is always a popular line," he said.

"You do realize that people can start suspecting their neighbors are demons or vampires?" Buffy pointed out. "There could be a whole new type of vigilantes—not the good kind."

"Then I supposed Oliver and his group of merry men will have to help keep a reign on that," General Lane said, looking at Oliver and Chloe with a knowing smirk.

Oliver was surprised and glanced at his wife, who wasn't as surprised. He was her uncle after all. "You don't even say hello, and now you are implying what about us?" Chloe said.

"That my niece is the brains behind the Justice League and Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow? Of course, I knew," General Lane said.

"Great," Oliver muttered.

"Relax, Oliver. I know how to keep things secret," General Lane said.

"We could also consider introducing demons that aren't dangerous, like Clem," Willow said.

Buffy nodded. "That might keep people from suspecting their neighbors," she admitted, thinking about it. Did she really want to be in the spotlight, though?

General Lane looked expectantly at Buffy. "Well?"

Buffy knew the man had a good point, and so did Willow. "I can't make that decision without talking to Giles," she said.

"Who is that?" General Lane asked.

"He's our _British_ leader," Buffy said, emphasizing the word British. "And he resides in our headquarters on the Motherland."

General Lane frowned as a confused Clark asked, "Motherland?"

"She's referring to Great Britain, an important ally of America," General Lane said. They could deal with anyone in the UK as they were the closest ally the U.S. had.

"Giles is Buffy's Watcher," Cora explained. "He was our high school librarian—the book guy. He would research all the demons and tell us how to kill them."

"He also trained me to fight," Buffy said.

"You were in high school and killing demons?" Martha asked with a horrified look.

"Well, we lived on a hellmouth—it was kind of a given," Willow added with a shrug. "My best friend Jesse was turned in a vampire, and Buffy saved me and my other best friend, Xander, from a vampire the week she moved to town our sophomore year."

"You poor kids," Martha said. The meteor infected in Smallville was nothing compared to what these kids had dealt with.

"So what are you waiting for?" General Lane asked, impatiently.

Buffy looked at her watch. "Giles will be asleep right now, and he doesn't appreciate us waking him up unless it's like a world endage situation or someone's hurt," she said.

"You don't think endangering you and all your slayers is a dangerous situation?" the general asked.

"Nope," Buffy said. "We're always in danger."

"Giles still do that removing of the glasses and the frowning?" Cora asked, grinning.

Willow and Buffy both smiled. "Yep," Willow said. "Then he cleans them as he lectures us."

"Nothing worse than an unhappy Watcher," Buffy added.

"You can't be serious?" General Lane asked. All three women nodded seriously.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and then it opened before Martha could get to it.

"Kara!" Martha said with a happy smile.

"Angel?" Buffy asked in surprise.

"Cordelia?" Angel asked, ignoring Buffy as his eyes were fastened to Cora.

"Hi, Angel," Cora said.

Buffy wasn't used to being ignored by Angel in favor of Cordelia, so she was mildly annoyed when Angel brushed past her to hug her former classmate.

"We saw you on the news," Kara said.

"So this is your other cousin?" General Lane asked Clark.

"How do we have another cousin?" Kara asked.

Clark looked guilty. "Sorry for not telling you sooner," he said. "Cordelia was infected by a demon of some kind. It was killing her, and Angel asked me to save her. I left her with Jor-El, and he decided to splice her DNA with mine to do so. When I came back to the Fortress, Cora was there."

Angel gave Clark a grateful look. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," Clark said.

Angel finally noticed Buffy and Willow. "Hey, Buffy. Willow. It's good to see you," he said, not letting go over Cora's hand.

"Glad you noticed we were here," Buffy said sourly. She wasn't sure she felt jealousy for Angel's clear attachment to Cordelia or if she was just hurt that he ignored her in favor of Cordelia. It wasn't something that she'd experienced before.

Clark noticed that Buffy seemed upset with Angel. He wanted to speak to her, but he didn't feel speaking about personal matters in front of Lois' dad was a good idea.

"Well, I spoke my piece," General Lane said. He handed Buffy a card. "Speak to your leader—this Mr. Giles. Let me know what you decide. I think making you the face of the Slayers is the best way to go. Being prepared to answer questions about the supernatural is a must. Are all demons evil? Why kill vampires if they're just working and not harming people?" He glanced at Clark when he said this.

"Because they're _always_ harming people," Clark said flatly. "They survive on the blood of humans."

"Can they be conditioned to not harm people?" the general asked. He pointed at Angel. "This man is a vampire, correct?"

"Angel has a soul," Buffy said.

"Is that the only way he won't harm people?" General Lee asked bluntly.

Buffy thought of Spike, but Willow spoke before she could reply.

"No, Spike had a chip in his head that the military group in Sunnydale gave him. He can't hurt people," she said.

"So there is a way to contain the threat?" General Lane asked.

Buffy shook her head. "That is a onetime thing—something I will not allow to happen. Vampires are demons who have stolen a body and the memories that belong to the body. By killing them, you are freeing the memories and keeping the vampire from violating others their host loved."

"Angelus massacred my entire family after I was turned," Angel said. "He lives to kill and torment anyone Buffy loves."

"But your soul keeps him in check?" General Lane asked.

Angel nodded. "Yes," he said. "I have the memories of all that he's done, though. Giving vampires a soul isn't a solution as it leaves the person near crazy. It took me a century to finally function normally again."

"Good to know," General Lane said. He glanced back at Buffy. "Call me, and we'll figure this out."

After he left, Angel looked at Cora. "Are you coming home? Lorne and everyone really want to see you," he said.

She glanced at Martha, who gave her an encouraging smile. "You can come here anytime," she told her.

"I can't go back to my old life, Angel. Too much has changed," she said.

"I get that," Angel said. He didn't care if she did or not because he was just so happy that she was alive and well once more—no matter the changes in her.

Buffy felt a sense of loss at how insignificant her place in Angel's life had become. The fact that it was Cordelia that seemed to be the center of his world only made it worse. Sure, she knew that Cordelia hadn't been the self-centered girl she knew in high school in a long time, but she still couldn't help but feel cheated somehow.

"I'm glad you're coming back with us," Kara said. "Your friends really miss you. I've heard so many stories about you."

Cora smiled. "I can't wait to see them," she said. She looked at Clark. "How can I get a hold of you?"

Clark pulled out one of his cards from the Daily Planet and gave it to her. "That's my number," he said.

"Okay," Cora said. "Are you staying here?"

"I think I need to stick with Buffy and figure out how to help her with this mess we've created," Clark said.

"Call me if you need me," she replied.

"Oh, I think you've done enough," Buffy said sourly.

Cora gave her a faint smile—she got why Buffy was pissed and didn't respond.

Willow was surprised at Cordelia's restraint. Maybe, she really had changed.

***** _Gotham*****_

Faith felt the wind on her face as she drove Wayne's CVO Street Glide. She'd driven a few Harley's but not this particular model. The fact that it was red was amusing as hell. Faith just couldn't picture Bruce driving around on a ride motorcycle. Their spar had gone on for a half hour before she won it squarely. No matter how skilled he was—and he was definitely more skilled than she—he just didn't have her stamina. He got tired like a normal human while she was built to fight all out for hours if necessary.

She heard a bike behind and looked in her mirrors, grinning. Of course, he wouldn't be able to keep himself from going after her. When she picked this $30,000 bike to ride, he insisted that she wear a helmet and gave her leather gloves as she already had on a leather jacket. It was not surprising that he decided to join her for a ride outside of the city where cops were few and far between.

As soon as she'd gotten outside the city, she'd opened up the speed, feeling exhilarated to have the wind on her face. Now she glanced to right as he came up beside. The sneaky bastard was naturally driving her second choice the 2010 Suzuke Hayabusa, the fastest bike on the market. Now Faith was kicking herself for going for price over speed as she saw Bruce's grin as he passed her, speeding up.

Although she knew that she would never catch up, she did her best to try. He would tease her by slowing down and letting her pull next to him, and then he'd speed up again. It irked her as much as it amused her. If she was on his bike, she'd do the same damn thing.

Finally, he led her down a long driveway—they were the boonies somewhere. Hopefully, he knew where he was going. Then he stopped in front of a modest two-story house. There was an attached garage and a pond. When he parked the bike and got off, she followed.

"What's this?" she asked, looking around at the house that was very different from Wayne Manor.

"It's one of my properties," he said.

"No shit?" Faith asked, grinning. "That's cool." She followed him into the house and watched as he punched in a code on the lock around the doorknob. Then a key was inside it.

"That's cool. No need to keep up with a key," she said, impressed.

He turned on a light as they stepped inside, and then he opened a panel, turning off an alarm. Then he pushed a button and the fireplace turned on.

Faith laughed. "Okay, that's impressive. And I see you have an actual bearskin rug in front of it. Is this your love nest?" she asked. "Is this where you bring your chicks and bang'em without Alfred's judgmental disapproval?"

"Actually, I've never brought anyone here," he said.

"You're lying," she said.

"No, really. I just bought it a year ago," Bruce said. "I wanted a quiet place outside the city but private. Something that wouldn't require much maintenance or need staff."

"This is nice," Faith said, putting her hand on the very expensive dark leather sofa. There was a mantle and everything. "I really like this house."

"You do?" Bruce asked.

"It's much cozier than your mansion," she said. Then she turned and faced him. "I think we've spent enough time together."

"We have?" he asked, frowning. He enjoyed spending time with her. Every time was different—she was unpredictable. Bruce found that quality nearly as attractive as the underlining vulnerability he saw from time to time.

Faith reached out and grabbed the sides of his jackets, pulling him closer. "Enough to know that we should get a bit closer," she said with a coy grin. Then she kissed him.

Bruce wasn't sure he wanted to keep resisting her. He allowed her the kiss even as he weighed the cost and benefits to consummating their relationship. They were already seeing each other nearly every day that he wasn't away on business. She had quickly become the most important person in his life—definitely the most important woman. He was attracted to her, and he did want to tie her to him. His concern that she used sex too casually was still a concern, though.

He pulled back a bit, ending the kiss and gazed down into her eyes. "I'm not a toy that you can put down when you feel like it," he said.

"I don't know. I like the idea of having my own boy toy," Faith said with a smirk. When she saw that he wasn't smiling but was serious, she grew more so herself and nodded. "I get what you're saying. You want me all to yourself, no sharing."

"Of course," he said, a touch of anger in his expression at the thought that she'd even consider another man.

"Same goes with you? You're mine as long as we're together?" Faith asked, trying to sound casual.

Bruce, though, was trained in reading expression and saw once more that hint of vulnerability that always intrigued him. She didn't feel as casual as she was making out. He finally smiled.

"How could I possibly want another woman when the most beautiful, sexy, and amazing woman is in my arms right now?" Bruce pointed out. Then he pulled her close for another kiss.

 _*****Smallville*****_

Buffy was standing outside on the Kent Farm, watching as Cordelia wrapped her arms around Angel and literally flew away. Angel had thrown a casual "goodbye, Buffy" over his shoulder before leaving. Willow had teleported away just a few minutes before they left, so it was just Buffy.

"Are you all right?" Clark asked, coming up behind her. He could tell she was bothered by Angel's lack of attention toward her.

"I suppose," Buffy said, turning to face it. "It's silly really. Angel and I have been over for a long time, but some part of me really believed that if he couldn't be with me, he just wouldn't be with anyone. How selfish am I?"

"That's not selfish," Clark said. "When you love someone, it's normal to want to never be forgotten—to always matter."

"I know Angel still cares about me, and I don't even think I'm jealous—not really," Buffy said. "I don't think I'm in love with Angel. I just felt like he was mine for so long. Ya know?" The fact that it was Cordelia Chase just made it sting a little more.

Clark nodded. "Yea," he said. "I was in love with this girl named Lana Lang for most of my life—as soon as I noticed girls. In high school, we became friends. Eventually, she noticed me back, and we were together. She was my first."

"Not Lois?"

"Actually, Lois used to date Ollie," Clark said with a fond smile, remembering. "She uncovered his secret identity and was too angry to forgive him, but when she figured out mine, she just gloated for knowing it before I told her. That's when I knew that she was made for me."

"I don't think anyone's made for me," Buffy admitted. "I only seem to be attracted cursed men, drugged men, or chipped and soulless men."

Clark grinned, not sure how serious she was. "Well, I'm sure all the men who've been close to you count themselves very lucky," he said. He put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Mom's got some pie left. Do you want to get another piece? You can stay the night—she'd love to have you. She loves company. Chloe and Oliver will stick around a bit longer."

"Yes, to the pie and maybe to the staying the night," Buffy said, following Clark. "I better call Giles while you get the pie ready, though."

She called Giles and stepped into the living room while he went into the kitchen to talk to his friends. After she filled Giles in on what General Lane said and Cordelia's new status, he was a silent for a long while.

"It's a lot, huh?"

"That's an understatement," he said dryly.

Buffy smiled as she pictured him taking off his glasses and cleaning them. "So what do you think?" she asked.

"I am very happy to hear that Cordelia is okay," he said, tackling the easier thing first.

"Yes," Buffy said. "Angel barely looked at me he was so fixated on Cordelia."

"They've worked closely together for years, Buffy," Giles said. "How do you think Angel would feel if he knew how close you got to Spike before he died?"

Buffy felt a stab of guilt. "Good point," she said. "Anyway, what are we going to do about Lex Luthor?"

"Hmm. Too bad his mind is too strong for Willow to wipe," Giles muttered.

"Giles!" Buffy said in surprise.

"Well, it'd make things easier. What the General wants to do is understandable," Giles said, considering. "We need to have some control of the narrative. Too many people from Sunnydale know you are the slayer—your entire senior class knows you're special."

"Yes," Buffy agreed. Resigned, she sat down on the couch. "It's going to be me, isn't it?"

"I think you'll be the best one for the job," he said.

"What about Kennedy? She loves the spotlight," Buffy said.

"But no one will keep searching if it's you because too many from Sunnydale know enough about you to suspect you are like Kennedy," Giles pointed out. "If it's you, there won't be a need for them to look for more."

"Fine," Buffy grumbled.

"I will talk to everyone and call you back," Giles said.

"Okay," Buffy said. "I'll catch you later."

She hung up and went to the kitchen. Her eyes lit up when she saw Martha putting a scoop of ice cream on her pie.

"Oh, that look yummy!" Buffy said, sitting down in the chair next to Clark.

"Mom had a cobbler she had frozen a few weeks ago. She heated it in the oven," Clark said.

"Her cobbler is even better than her apple pie," Chloe said.

"You can do that? Freeze it and get it out to heat up later?" Buffy asked as she accepted her piece.

"Isn't that what you do at the grocery store?" Clark reminded her with a grin.

Buffy's lip stuck out in a pout. "Hey, no mocking of the Buffy," she said.

Clark laughed. "Speaking about yourself in the third person? How can I not mock that?" he asked.

Oliver and Chloe each began to speak to one another in the third person, causing Buffy's pout to get more pronounced and Clark more amused.

Martha hadn't heard Clark laugh in so long that her eyes were riveted on her son as he continued to tease Buffy. Lois had been gone now for eight months. Of course, eight months after her husband died, Martha hadn't thought of anything beyond Clark and her sense of losee, but she wasn't as young as Clark. Clark had a very long life ahead of him, and she wanted him to find happiness again.

She couldn't help but look at Buffy in speculation.

**** _Chapter End****_

 _I know I don't deserve a review after the long wait, but if you feel inclined, I do appreciate it. Thanks so much!_


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